George Proffit Ramey

This story was told to me by my daddy, Don Sweeney. It is a true story and I have read it to him and received his approval. I think you will enjoy it.

George Proffit Ramey was married to my daddy's Aunt Fannie. My daddy says he was a mean man. Story is, that he wasn't too good to Fannie...didn't call the doctors in time...basically they blamed him for her death. She was only 30 when she died and Proffit was remarried before the year was out. I'm not sure why my grandfather continued to associate with him...guessing he was a good drinkin buddy.


When I was 14 or 15 years old me and my daddy went up to Kansas to see Uncle Proffit. We were down at the pool hall and Uncle Proffit decided he wanted a haircut and shave. He knew a barber so they went down to the barber shop and Proffit got up in the chair. Well, the barber gave him the haircut and lathered up his face with the brush and that was alright. Then he got the straight razor out and started honing it on the strap. At this point Uncle Proffit straightened up and watched every move the barber was making. As the barber shaved his face and moved to the side burns Uncle Proffit tensed up and backed away. When the barber got to the scar on his neck Uncle Proffit said, "You don't need to do the scar, just shave around it."

He didn't want the barber messin around that scar. You see, Uncle Proffit had a scar on his throat. It was pretty long and when he smiled it pulled his mouth down on that side.

When the barber was all done Uncle Proffit didn't look too much better than he did before.

Then we went on over to Proffit's house and the men were sippin on whiskey and me being a nosey teenager got to snoopin around. I found a little box and opened it up. Inside was a straight razor. Well, Uncle Proffit saw me messin with that straight razor and asked me, "What are you doing?" Then he got on to my daddy and told me, "Put it up! It just git you in trouble."

Not long after they left daddy asked my grandfather about what had happened and why Uncle Proffit was "a nervous style individual." And THAT is a story! And I will tell you...

To be continued...

The Little Yellow Bug is sick....

David, Amy and Miss Annabelle met for lunch today over in Jenks at Los Cabos. We had a wonderful time. Have I mentioned lately how precious that little princess is?

So I'm zipping along, heading into the construction zone in downtown Tulsa when my generator light comes on...hmmm....never seen that before. I called David and discussed the situation and decided to drive on home. It was really hot with the A/C - Fan off and no George Strait to listen to, but I made it home. I grabbed the owners manuel and got a slightly sweaty me into the house. The manuel said that I shouldn't drive the car when that light come on....I'll be calling Chad on Monday morning!

So Samuel is leaving with Phillip. I asked a few inquiring questions and discovered that Samuel was leaving his car at home. He looked at me with squinted eyes and said, "Have you ever driven my car before?" I assured him that I had driven all kinds of cars, trucks and even a U-Haul. Off they go...I decided to give it a spin down to the "corner" (gas station) just to get a feel for it and decided before I got out of the driveway that I would NOT be driving his car to church in the morning. His fan motor is broken and the only air blowing is coming in the windows. Now wouldn't I just look lovely?

I called Liana, talked to Jerry and they will be picking me up in their air conditioned car!

Fashion alert diverted.....

A ho!

A ho! A ho! My dad's been captured by a ho!


I laugh out loud everytime...and yes tears of laughter too!!

Memorial Day 2010

A few weeks ago I called my mom and told her that I would be to visit over Memorial Day weekend and that I would hlep her with the flowers for the cemetary. We talked more than once in the days leading up to my visit. We were making our list to be sure we had all the flowers needed.

On my way to Henryetta I had to swing over to the east side of Tulsa to put flowers on my great aunt Juanita's grave. I do this for my favorite uncle Troy and count it an honor to do it for him.

I arrived at Moma & Daddy's house on Thursday afternoon and I unloaded the flowers into the house. We made our plans for Friday and I left to spend the night at Kathryn's. I got up bright and early and walked over to my parents house. We clipped, stuffed and arranged flowers then loaded them in the car.

I had mentioned to my mom that I hadn't been able to locate favorite uncle Troy's father's grave online. So, she called city hall and was able to get the location. We had no idea where it was but I was determined to find it.

Moma and I decided to swing down Main Street to get a Sonic pop and boy were we gald we did! It was a hot day. As we were zipping back down Main Street towards the cemetery I had her swing in to park in front of the flower shop. I went in, hoping to find a wreath for my parent's front door (and I did) but while in there noticed a table with bunches of flowers tied with a ribbon for just a few dollars. I picked one up and mentioned that I didn't want to spend a lot of money since I wasn't even sure we would find the grave. The nice lady at Reba's Flowers asked me if I had the location and I told her that we got it from city hall. She said, "Honey, get the location for me ~ I have a map!" I ran out to the car, got the location and she located and gave me directions for finding the grave. With her help I practically walked right to it.

It took us over 2 hours to put all the flowers out. The grounds keepers had done a nice job but we still needed to sweep off the headstones before putting the flowers in the vases or on the ground. This year I took pictures. Not so much for the flowers but to have a visual memory of our time.

Walter & Margaret Pippin

My mothers Paternal Grandparents

Virgil & Georgia Higgins

My mother's Maternal Grandparents

We talked about each person and Moma told stories about each person I hadn't known. We had a precious time.

James Walter & Fern Pippin

My mothers parents

Margaret Sweeney

My fathers mother

My Paternal Grandmother & Maternal Grandparents

For me the most special one was the wreath we put on my Uncle Kenneth's grave. Since it was Memorial Day, a Military National Holiday and that they had recently placed his military marker....well, it was just emotional.

Also, putting flowers on Galen's grave is always special to me. The picture here is actually of a year past since the two pictures I had taken on this day strangely had my reflection, taking the picture, on the face of the headstone.

One can't help but notice the veteran part of the cemetery. This cemetery doesn't have any Civil War graves that I know of but plenty of WWI to the present. The local veterans spent their weekend placing American flags at the entrances to the cemetery as well as on each veteran grave. They also have a Memorial Day Service on Monday that I'm sure takes a lot of time and preparation. And just think, this takes place all across the country. I kept telling Moma that Memorial Day is a Military National Holiday but also a good time to honor our loved ones.

We drove out to the cemetery each day...just to drive around and look at the increasing flowers. It is strangely beautiful to me to see the people, older people in particular, putting flowers on the graves of their loved ones. I like going to the cemeteries where loved ones are buried. It is good to reflect and reconnect with the memories.

Gettin a Little Sunshine

I heard a rumor that there was a petition going around the neighborhood. It seems my grass was too long. Have you heard the weather reports lately? Rain, rain, rain! I have been watching the neighbors yards as I come and go and I'm just wondering....when are they getting their grass mowed? All nicely trimmed. One of my neighbors even took a swath down my side of the fence. Oh, that really helped my yard look better.

So I decided that today was the day, rain or shine. I got out pretty early and it was muuuggy! I trimmed, picked up lots of sticks and even scooped up gopher dirt hills. The word must have gotten out because I could swear the traffic increased in front of my house. I couldn't look up at them but I'm sure they slowed down!

I always marvel at those ladies who do their yard work looking like they just stepped out of the salon. I'm not one of those women. First of all I sweat! Not just a little, oh no, I need a sweat band! So, there I am sweaty, red faced and wet hair working away.

Enter Samuel, He returns home and I with a smile tell him I'm ready to push mow (or trim as we call it). He told me that he was going to do the trimming. Bless you my child!

"Oh, and you might need to charge the battery, I forgot to get a new battery for the riding mower," I told him. One would think that with the long break from mowing that one would have taken care of that. Sure enough the battery was dead and needed that charge. I took advantage of the break to do important things: eat lunch, check e-mail, face book and surf around the Internet. Once "cooled off" I thought I would try to improve my appearance so I took off the sweat band and combed my hair....it really didn't help.

I'm getting more efficient with the riding mower. I finished in a little over 2 hours! Let's see, I was stalked by a red wasp, saw a young mockingbird, had grass thrown all over me on more than one occasion and lost a flip flop. I was quite the site.

All is well in the neighborhood....
The yard is mowed and I got a little sunshine.

Cindy Sharp

I found out today that a very dear friend's battle with cancer is over and she is now in the presence of God. That makes me happy. My sadness is selfish. I will miss her. Cindy came into my life almost 7 years ago when Galen died. She helped guide me through mountains of paperwork and was a constant encouragement to me. The last time I saw her was in early February and she was fighting the cancer. As usual she pointed our conversations to God's goodness in our lives. As I was leaving she again told me how proud she was to be my friend. The last thing she told me was how she thought I looked beautiful and that she couldn't wait to dance at my wedding. I laughed and told her we would have to find me a Christian man first. She laughed and said, "Oh be patient, he is out there and God is preparing you for each other."
I always left her feeling better about myself. I will miss her...

As usual with me a song pops into my mind now when I think of her. So here are the words...
Cindy flew to Jesus today!

Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

Making My Moma Laugh...

I chose this story to be the first one that I post because it is one of my "colorful" stories. It is a true story and one my family's favorites...especially my moma. Go ahead, shake your head, because you will see that I'm a mess!

Before I begin, my sisters and I have always called our mother, momma. Except we spell it moma. So don't think I can't spell it and don't say it with a long O. :-)

Making My Moma Laugh...

Every mother thinks their children are angels and mine was no exception. I remember clearly the day she found out that I was, well....not. She might have suspected such but never let me know.

It was a very hot last day of school and my sister Kathryn and I arrived home with our car loaded with the contents of our school lockers. We started hauling it all in passing first my mom's car, on into the house, down the hall, past her bedroom and on to our bedrooms. About the second or third trip out to the car, as I was passing Kathryn (which happened to be in front of my mom's bedroom) I said, "After I get this next load I need to take a quick shit." And on I went outside. Kathryn met me just outside the front door with her hand on Moma's car and said, "ELIZABETH! I can't believe you said that!" To which I replied, "What?" She then thumped our mom's car and said, 'Uh, I guess you forgot that Moma is home, in bed, down on her back!"

That's when it all became crystal clear! How many times had I passed her car, her bedroom? I just had one thing on my mind and that was the "quick ....!" Anyway, the last thing I wanted to do was go back in the house, but I really needed to. So, I took a deep breath and marched inside hoping maybe she was asleep or something and headed for the bathroom. As I turned the corner heading for the home stretch I heard her, but her voice sounded different "Elizabeth Ann, come in here right now!"

Busted!

My mom started telling me how shocked she was to hear me use such language and I don't remember the rest because I was looking at her, trying not to laugh, realizing that she was fighting back the chuckles herself!! We ended up laughing together, talking about speech becoming of a young lady and that she never wanted to hear me use such language again.

I learned a few things about my moma that day. First, after laying there in shock from what she had heard she started laughing and had to try to get a hold of herself before calling me in. Not to mention laughing hurt her back. Second, if I want to make her laugh, really laugh...just throw in a "choice" word at appropriate times and catch her off guard...well, it works every time.

Over the years I have perfected the "gift" with my mom even though she never wanted to hear me use such language again.

He Giveth More Grace

Can't remember if I've ever posted the words to this song but tonight it is on my mind. The words have been a comfort to me and I hope they are a comfort to some dear friends going through an unimaginable time....

He Giveth More Grace
Annie J. Flint
1866-1932

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
Four out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

My love & prayers to Michael, Chrissy and sweet tiny baby Lilian

The Village Blacksmith

Our church provides a meal on Wednesday nights. One Wednesday night a few years back I was feeling rather sorry for myself when I arrived to have dinner. I walked in with a smile on my face and a frown in my heart. You know, a real good pity party…all by myself and no one to sit with…another meal eaten alone…
Then I saw them: two ladies I had seen many times. I paid for my meal, walked over to where they were sitting and asked if I could join them. They smiled and welcomed me at their table and into their hearts.

This is one of Mary’s many stories. Betty’s story is for another time.

I will never forget that first time I ate with Mary. Mary was so friendly and did she like to talk! She is 82 years young and has had a wonderful life. Mary grew up in southern Oklahoma in a tiny little town and has told me many stories of her “growing up years.” On this first night she mentioned her daddy. I asked her, “What did your daddy do for a living?” She said, “He was the blacksmith.” I gasped, “The village blacksmith!” She looked at me and said, “Yes, he was.” I then replied, “My goodness Mary, he must have been strong!” She got a twinkle in her eye and a chuckle in her voice and said, “Yes, yes, I guess he was the strongest man in town!”
I started quoting the first stanza of Longfellow’s poem to her and she knowingly smiled. I left that night with a smile on my face, a smile in my heart and thankfulness to God for sending me just what I needed!

We girls always sit together now; they have taken me into their group. I wouldn’t give up those friendships for anything.

So, here is the poem that I made all three boys memorize as small children. I never would have imagined that the poem would years later be one of the links to a dear friendship.

The Village Blacksmith
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school
Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice,
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his haul, rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling,--rejoicing,--sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought.

More Love to Thee ~ Elizabeth P. Prentiss

At the conclusion of each Sunday school lesson I like to read the "story" behind the writing of hymns. This was the suggested hymn for the week so I looked into it...

But before the poem, a bit of background:
During the 1850's The Prentiss' lost a child and then a short time later their youngest child also died. During this time of mourning Elizabeth wrote in her diary, "Empty hands, a worn-out, exhausted body, and unutterable longings to flee from a world that has so many sharp experiences." From her broken heart came this poem:
I thought that prattling boys and girls
Would fill this empty room;
That my rich heart would gather flowers
From childhood's opening bloom:
One child and two green graves are mine,
This is God's gift to me;
A bleeding, fainting, broken heart,
This is my gift to Thee.

Not long after writing this poem she completed another poem (in one evening, all four stanzas) to what would later become a hymn.

More love to Thee, O Christ, More love to Thee! Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee;
This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee, More love to Thee!

Once earthly joy I craved, Sought peace and rest; Now Thee alone I seek - Give what is best;
This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee, More love to Thee!

Let sorrow do its work, Send grief and pain; Sweet are Thy messengers, Sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me, More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee, More love to Thee!

Then shall my latest breath Whisper Thy praise; This be the parting cry My heart shall raise;
This still its prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee, More love to Thee!

Charles M. Russell

Today I met some friends and we went to the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa to see the Charles M Russell exhibit. Let me just say that it was everything I hoped for and more. The added treat greeted us as we drove onto the grounds. The Azaleas were in full bloom and they were breathtaking!

The four of us entered the museum just behind a rather large group of people who had planned ahead and had a docent (actually 3) ready to give them the tour. They were a noisy bunch of people – a church group – and we all know how rowdy those church people can be.

While we waited for this group to move on to the main attraction we checked out the main entrance gallery. It was featuring 2 artists. John Coleman and his bronze work were both there. What a delightful experience the artist and his art! The other work was by CL Ballatyne. She does some unbelievable work! Diane and I were trying to figure out how I could come up with 14,000.00 to purchase this oil painting of a really good looking cowboy. He would really look good hanging in my house!

If you get the chance before May 2nd you must go see this exhibit. One of the things I like about Russell is that he is pretty much a narrative artist. If you look long enough you will see the story. Sometimes you don’t have to look long. I think the man had a great sense of humor as well as being a gifted artist. It was fun to see how his work progressed over the years. They also had his first bronze sculpture on display. It was beautiful! I’m thinking, it’s your first one for crying out loud, how about a big nose or one horse leg longer than the other…but oh no! Just beauty!

I love art and the people who create it!

Unexpected Detours

Sometimes in our lives we encounter detours. Detours are usually never planned. I used to be so uptight and down right cranky when plans got a kink. But…I’ve changed. Detours are part of life. Now when I find myself on a detour I slow down and enjoy the unexpected, it’s always there and will always add at least a paragraph to the story of your life.

Yesterday was a special day. A very dear life long friend was celebrating his birthday and I was honored to be invited to help him celebrate.

I had made plans with Jeannie, who lives in our home town of Okemah, to ride together to the party. Jeannie is usually running a bit late and I’m usually running a bit early so we figured between the two of us it would work out. Anyway, she called me around noon to let me know she would need an extra 30 minutes. Smiling to myself, I told her it would be okay and that I would just take the scenic route (Route 66 from Sapulpa to Bristow). It’s a great drive especially if you have a zippy car!

Off I go….fill up the car, wash the car, Sonic pop, I’m ready. I did get behind a pokey person for a while but all in all nice drive to Bristow. Checking my clock I noticed that as usual I would have about 15 extra minutes and thought I’d use it to drive around Okemah. Then I saw it! HWY 48 South closed. If you are familiar with this part of the state then you know that doesn’t leave you many options on how to get from Bristow to Okemah. I chose to drive Route 66 on to Stroud, down to Prague then back track to Okemah. When I got to Stroud it was 2:00. That’s when I called Jeannie. “Uh, Jeannie….just wanted to let you know that I’m running a bit late….detour….laughing…take your time…more laughing… (I think she was thankful for the ADDITIONAL time!)
The drive from Stroud to Prague is a very nice drive; I’ve done it many times going to Shawnee. I turned back east on Hwy 62 and that’s when I slowed down. You see, it occurred to me that I had no memory of ever driving this road though I was sure I had as a child/teenager. I cannot describe what a beautiful drive it is. I’m sure if you live down around there and drive it all the time then you are like most of us that travel the same roads everyday, you don’t see it…the beauty and diversity. I was lovin’ it! As I came into the small town of Paden I noticed 3 very different churches clustered together and then I saw it….the sign said, “The People of Truth” and a big arrow pointing north. I chuckled and said out loud, “Wow, I need to be with them,” then thought about the sign some more and wondered, “What does THAT mean?” I had a hunch I knew what it meant…..
I continued on through Boley and thought of all the great stories my Daddy tells of working around there, especially two, one about a dog bite while reading a meter and the other about almost getting shot off a pole (as in shot gun!). I soon saw the hot & cold water towers of Okemah and arrived at Jeannie’s just a few minutes before three.

We left Okemah and headed to Norman. Needless to say, we talked all the way, I don’t even remember going by Shawnee. Somewhere just past Harrah I told her that I hadn’t paid any attention to where we were… more laughing…

I had a wonderful evening reconnecting with friends from my childhood. Good food, good drinks, wonderful Lemon Cake (thanks Cathy!), much laughter and a few tears. We hated to tear ourselves away but knew we must get back on the road home.

Now, if you are wondering how I got home from Okemah in the almost wee hours of the morning….Henryetta, Kathryn….you see she has a spare bedroom that she calls Elizabeth’s room and the bed always has fresh sheets on it. So, I was up even later telling her all my tales.

P.S. Jeff pointed out shortly after we arrived that Jeannie was the first to arrive at a party….miracles do happen!
P.S.S. Thank you Jeff for including me in your celebration! It was an honor to be with you as you joined the 50 club. And I might add that you did it with style! Love Liz

Concession Stands

Kim & I were wondering who do you complain to about a concession stand?

We went to see Tori play slow pitch and we wanted drinks & snacks...(read: pop & chips). I paid 2 dollars for a diet coke, expiration date 10/09. He GAVE us the chips and told us they expired last August! He said, "here they're free, either take em' or we're throwing them out." THROW THEM OUT BUDDY!!! We opened the fritoes, I took one whiff and said NO WAY! The M&M's were fine. The bottled water seemed okay. I didn't ask about the power-aide.

It just struck me that these kids haven't eaten since lunch and didn't finish playing until 7:30. They are hungry and while a chili hotdog isn't the best thing, it will give them some energy and is better than nothing or at least will tide them over until supper can be provided.

This is High School Slow Pitch! We were on the home field and there were more people from out of town than the home team. Now, I know that slow pitch can sometimes be a bit boring but these girls are good and all of them (both teams) deserve more support! I guess that's why they charged us 5 bucks to get in...maybe if attendance would go up they MIGHT lower the price a dollar or two. I'm not complaining about paying 5 bucks to get in, it just seemed weird to me.

This home team concession stand could take a lesson from the small town of Barnsdall on how to run a concession stand. They rock!!!! Go Lady Panthers!!!

Love you Tori, you all did a great job tonight in spite of the crappy concession stand!

Oh, and if you want to see the most beautiful ball field around then go to Barnsdall. It is a work of art! I'm told that Gilbert takes great pride in keeping it up. He should be proud, Barnsdall should be proud!

I'm done!

What an exciting evening!

Thank you all for praying! I just returned to Henryetta and left all three in much need of a good nights sleep. Annabelle Lynn - 6lbs 5 oz. arrived by emergency c-section. She was 5 weeks early. Amy has been struggling with preclampsia for the past few weeks and has been on bed rest for at least 3 weeks.
She wasn't feeling well, a different kind of not feeling well and David got her in to see the Doctor. They sent them to the hospital for tests and said she might have to spend the night. When test results came in the doctor notified them that her liver enzymes were elevated and that they would be doing the c-section immediately.
Annabelle is in the NICU. She had some fluid on her lungs so they have put her on a respirator. They are also feeding her through the umbilical cord. She looks good and is moving nicely. We could watch her on a monitor in Amy's room. Amy has only had a glimpse of her at delivery and so the monitor helps. They are still trying to get Amy's blood pressure down, so she is hooked up to quite a bit of stuff.
Praying for a good night for both of them. Hopefully tomorrow David can take Amy to see Annabelle.
David is holding up pretty good...he is such a tender heart and his girls have him concerned.

In case you missed it....I'm a grandmother!

David kept saying, I can't believe she's here! I think we are all feeling the same way. We are all so thankful for God's goodness to us. Great is Thy faithfulness...morning by morning Thy mercies I see!

So for now mother, father and baby are stable and God is Good!!!!

Again, thanks for all those prayers and I will keep you posted until you are sick of me carrying on so about this sweet little angle and her precious mother! Love you all!!

Conversation with Samuel...

I just passed Samuel in the hallway and asked him what he planned on doing today...he stopped and smiled and I suggested maybe clean his room. He shrugged his shoulders and glanced down the hallway to my room. I said, "Hey, I just need to make my bed and hang up a few clothes." He said the same was true for his room. I said, "Well, yes, but you have all this clutter around the edges." Again, the shrug of shoulders. I asked him, "How do you live like that," to which he replied, "Hey, it's homey!" I laughed the whole time I made my bed and hung up my clothes.....

Parties All Weekend!

Last Friday night a few of my best girlfriends came over and brought ingredients for Taco Salad and a funny "over the hill" cake. We sat outside around the fire pit, wrapped in blankets laughing and talking until midnight. Then we moved in and discovered Rebekah had soot all over her face and we laughed some more. Bedtime came around 4 am.

On Sunday Afternoon the kids had a party for me and Yes, the party was great! The kids did a great job, especially Ellisa. The theme was 1960's. The colors were vivid pink, green, yellow and blue. There was a poster on the front door welcoming everyone to the 60's! I could see big bright cut out flowers on the windows. When I walked in there was, "Here she comes just a walkin down the street playing" and of course I immediately started dancing much to everyone's delight. Andrew had made a compilation of 60's music which played the whole time. My mom had brought pictures of me through the years and had them sitting around. The cake came from my parents and it had my picture on the cake. Oh I guess I was about 5 years old and the cake said, Celebrating 50 years of Elizabeth! Of course the icing trims were done in yellow. Food all laid out....subs, fruit, cheeses, chips, pop and everything matched the theme!
I had a few serious birthday cards but mostly funny. My personal favorite gift ....Tickets to see Reba & George!!!!!
Oh, and David had a fun game planned where you had to answer questions about the year I was born and the prize was a lava lamp! Ellisa passed out papers and had people write their advice to me for the next 50 years. Ellisa read them and I had to try to guess who it belonged to.

We laughed the whole time and it was a wonderful afternoon!

Pray for me...

Some of you know, most of you probably don't, but work has been pretty tough the past six weeks. Without going into a lot detail I wanted to let you know that today I was told that I would be out of work by the end of the month. What does that mean? The girl that was hired 6 weeks ago was hired to replace me. No surprise on my part...you just get the feeling ;). Anyway, my boss has tried to keep me busy hoping things would turn around but corporate headquarters has made the decision. So, I'm back in the job market. I'm tweaking the old resume' and already getting my leads lined up. I still have a little over two weeks to work and hopefully will have something by then.
During this same period of time I have had another very difficult issue that I've been dealing with...you know, one of those unspoken requests...God knows what it is, you don't need to know kinda things...just PLEASE pray for me! Thank you for praying for me, you'll never know what it means to me!
When I got home I did what I always do when I'm feeling low, I called my mom! If you didn't know that I have a wonderful mother then this next bit will confirm it to everyone. She told me that she had been thinking and praying for me constantly and that she had run across something she wanted to read to me. Right out of her Tabletalk magazine. It's long but WELL Worth The READ! Just what I needed! I wanted to share it because...well, I could relate, I agreed with it and I found comfort. Hear it is:
For My Good?
by R.C. Sproul
In 1993, my wife and I were involved in an historic train wreck. The crash of the Sunset Limited into an inlet from Mobile Bay killed more passengers than any Amtrak accident in history. We survived that eerie accident but not without ongoing trauma. The wreck left my wife with an ongoing anxiety about being able to sleep on a train at night. The wreck left me with a back injury that took fifteen years of treatment and therapy to overcome. Nevertheless, with these scars from the trauma we both learned a profound lesson about the providence of God. Clearly, God’s providence in this case for us was one of benign benevolence. It also illustrated to us an unforgettable sense of the tender mercies of God. In as much as we are convinced that God’s providence is an expression of His absolute sovereignty over all things, I would think that a logical conclusion from such a conviction would be the end of all anxiety.
However, that is not always the case. Of course, our Lord Himself gave the instruction to be anxious for nothing to His disciples and, by extension, to the church. His awareness of human frailties expressed in our fears was manifested by His most common greeting to His friends: “Fear not.” Still, we are creatures who, in spite of our faith, are given to anxiety and at times even to melancholy.
As a young student and young Christian, I struggled with melancholy and sought the counsel of one of my mentors. As I related my struggles, he said, “You are experiencing the heavy hand of the Lord on your shoulder right now.” I had never considered God’s hand being one that gave downward pressure on my shoulder or that would cause me to struggle in this way. I was driven to prayer that the Lord would remove His heavy hand from my shoulder. In time, He did that and delivered me from melancholy and a large degree of anxiety.
On another occasion I was in a discussion with a friend, and I related to him some of the fears that were plaguing me. He said, “I thought you believed in the sovereignty of God.” “I do,” I said, “and that’s my problem.” He was puzzled by the answer, and I explained that I know enough about what the Bible teaches of God’s providence and of His sovereignty to know that sometimes God’s sovereign providence involves suffering and affliction for His people. That we are in the care of a sovereign God whose providence is benevolent does not exclude the possibility that He may send us into periods of trials and tribulations that can be excruciatingly painful. Though I trust God’s Word that in the midst of such experiences He will give to me the comfort of His presence and the certainty of my final deliverance into glory, in the meantime I know that the way of affliction and pain may be difficult to bear.
The comfort that I enjoy from knowing God’s providence is mixed at times with the knowledge that His providence may bring me pain. I don’t look forward to the experience of pain with a giddy anticipation; rather, there are times when it’s necessary for me and for others to grit our teeth and to bear the burdens of the day. Again, I have no question about the outcome of such affliction, and yet at the same time, I know that there are afflictions that will test me to the limits of my faith and endurance. That kind of experience and knowledge makes it easy to understand the tension between confidence in God’s sovereign providence and our own struggles with anxiety.
Romans 8:28, which is a favorite for many of us, states that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). There’s no other text that demonstrates so clearly and magnificently the beauty of God’s sovereign providence than that one. The text does not say that everything that happens to us, considered in and of itself, is good; rather, it says that all things that happen are working together for our good. That is the master plan of God’s redemptive providence. He brings good out of evil. He brings glory out of suffering. He brings joy out of affliction. This is one of the most difficult truths of sacred Scripture for us to believe. I’ve said countless times that it is easy to believe in God but far more difficult to believe God. Faith involves living a life of trust in the Word of God.
As I live out the travail that follows life on this side of glory, hardly a day goes by that I am not forced to look at Romans 8:28 and remind myself that what I’m experiencing right now feels bad, tastes bad, is bad; nevertheless, the Lord is using this for my good. If God were not sovereign, I could never come to that comforting conclusion — I would be constantly subjected to fear and anxiety without any significant relief. The promise of God that all things work together for good to those who love God is something that has to get not only into our minds, but it has to get into our bloodstreams, so that it is a rock-solid principle by which life can be lived.
I believe this is the foundation upon which the fruit of the Spirit of joy is established. This is the foundation that makes it possible for the Christian to rejoice even while in the midst of pain and anxiety. We are not stoics who are called to keep a stiff upper lip out of some nebulous concept of fate; rather, we are those who are to rejoice because Christ has overcome the world. It is that truth and that certainty that gives relief to all of our anxieties.

Love, Elizabeth

Edward...

This past Friday my friend Kim and I were discussing our weekend plans. She would be home alone and I...had no plans unless you count the routine of most of my weekends. Kim said she wished I would come and visit her. She lives in the sleepy little community of Barnsdall about an hour north of Tulsa. I looked at her and said okay, I'll do it. Well, there was a bit of squealing and excitement and our plans were made. I hurried home from work and literally threw some things in a bag all the while talking nonstop to Samuel. I jumped in my little yellow car and headed north. I have driven to Skiatook many times but have never gone on north on hwy 11. Let me tell you, I was enjoying the drive! I could not take in the scenery fast enough. What a beautiful spot in Oklahoma! As I pulled into Barnsdall, I soon discovered that main street was an ice rink because of a water break. This town is not big enough to get lost in and I soon found my way to my dear friend Kim's house. Cell phones are so handy! We had lots to eat and drink, we laughed, we talked, we played video games! We had a blast. We fell into bed well past 2 am. I was given Kim's lovely 16 year old daughters room to sleep in. Let me tell you, that was a treat for me. PINK! I laughed and looked at all the neat things a 16 year old girl puts in her room and it was clear to see that Twilight - Edward and Bella (well, mostly Edward) was Tori's favorite! So much so that when I clicked off my light to go to sleep I said out loud, "goodnight Edward."
Thanks Kim for being such a good friend and hostess.
Thanks Tori for sharing your beautiful room!

Birthdays

Driving home from church this morning Samuel said, "It's one month until our birthday. ( He was born on my birthday) What do you want?" I responded, " George Strait concert tickets, G.Harvey painting and a boyfriend." He laughed! I said, " What do you want?" In true Samuel fashion there was no response so I added, " A job and a girlfriend!" He chuckled. I said, "you work on the job and I'll work on finding you a girlfriend." He really chuckled and said, "How about you work on finding me a job and I'll find the girlfriend!"
I laughed all the way home thinking....I hope we both get what we want!

Daddy & the Racoon

Over Christmas my parents and sister Kathryn got snowed in for an extra day. We had a wonderful time eating, laughing and telling stories. My daddy told us this story and I laughed till I cried, just picturing him in this situation. The story went like this:
I was going out back to put some trash in the dumpster and when I opened it, there down in the bottom with the trash was a raccoon. I was surprised to see it and more surprised when he rared up showed me his claws and hissed at me. I told him, "you get outta there!" I went back into the garage and got one of your mothers garden rakes and tried to get him out. He just kept hissing at me. So, I turned the dumpster on its side and started hitting the side. That silly thing wouldn't come out. I kept hitting the dumpster and he finally came out but turned and rared up on his back legs and showed me his claws and really hissed at me. Now, that made me mad and I raised my "club" and said, "You better get your ass outta here!"

I lost it! I could just see him, with his blood pressure out the ceiling from the ordeal, yelling at this raccoon. Note: my daddy rarely uses "colorful" language and for me this made the story even funnier.
Additional note: I realize that this could be a "had to be there" story but I wanted to get it down because I was there and didn't want to forget it.