Wordless Wednesday: Tooooflusss Buddies

My Grayce and her friend Kenzie.

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MckLinky Monday: Newlywed-ded Bliss?

What did you learn as a newlywed?

Link up and share your story with the Housewives for MckLinky Monday.

I'm going to do this as a list, rather than a story- why? Because I can that's why. It's my blog ya know. And I am using sort of a Vegas theme, because that's where we went on our honeymoon.

1. DO NOT show all your cards in the beginning. Make sure you pretend you don't know how to, or care to do many things.  Keep them on their toes. It's important they not start to expect things. Trust me.

2. DO NOT let your spouse lose his wallet the first day you are in Vegas on your honeymoon, especially when you have just turned 21 may or may not look the part.

3. RELISH in the fact you did not allow him to carry all the money at once, and only took what was needed out of the room each time. AND you made him carry that in his front pocket and give you the other half.  That way, you really only have lost your ID. And you can jump around from place to place before getting asked for it and kicked out.  Also, thankfully stupid terrorists had not yet ruined flying, and you could still board a plane home with NO ID.

4. One mile on a Vegas map is really equal to about 12.

5. Boys are messy and dirty. Kids quadruple this.

6. I cannot make a pie crust to save my life. The first one I made weighed about 3 pounds.

7. Yah, I know those last 2 don't really have anything to do with Vegas, but, again, it's my blog.

8. I can't really remember anything else, other than it greatly annoys me that the husband does not think a meal with no meat is actually a meal.  We should have discussed this prior. AND, I should have maybe payed attention he only knows how to cook like 3 things.  Hamburger Helper is one of those. And that's just crap(s)y.

9. (*velveeta alert*) But since we are a great pair, and have a full house, we won't fold. Coming up on 14 years in May, we may have lost a few hands, but we're still betting on the jackpot. 

Enjoy & link up!

wordless Wednesday: American Girls

MckLinky Monday: Where were you April 19, 1995 at 9:02AM?

April 19, 1995 at 9:02AM:  I was in the shower. I lived in Edmond, OK and was in my junior year at UCO.  I was running late.  I almost fell down from the jolt that the earth took. It was loud, I heard it.  And my apartment was over 15 miles away.

Since no one knew what was happening at all- media was slow back then, you know, there was no twitter--thoughts were that there was an explosion at an oil refinery (not so uncommon). I went on about my business.  It was after I got to campus, and into class, where a professor let us sit and watch TV (with bad reception from an antenna), that we saw and learned what little they knew then.  But we could see the pictures. The video. The horrific reality. I don't know if any other professors let their students watch, but I was a journalism major. And this was obviously a very media event.

My cousin, then a baby, was in the YMCA daycare center while my Aunt worked downtown, also.  The YMCA suffered a lot of damge, being very close to the blast site, but luckily the baby was not hurt other than a scratch- and neither was my aunt.

For some reason I could call with in OKC area from Edmond, but no one else in the state could get through. I got a lot of calls about what was going on and if I could reach my relatives.  I know I called them to give them messages from other family. It was very strange.  National media came very quickly and the whole area was like a war zone.

A friend and I went as close a they would let you in the daylight. And  I even have my own photos of it.  If I could have found those, I would have used them! Then  Joe and I went down to the site one night to take some supplies they were requesting. I know we took a thermos of hot chocolate.  Other than that, I can't remember what else.  Being down there then was undescribable.  And I have never been back.

In 15 years, I have never once gone back down there.  No, I have never even seen the memorial in person. Maybe I should, but I've just not felt led to do so. Can't explain it...


Where were you?

MckLinky with us over at TheRHOK and tell us your story.

Outside Today

Wordless Wednesday: Triple Crown

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MckLinky Monday: In My Hometown

Today's MckLinky Monday over at theRHOK.com is Where do you come from?? Tell us about your hometown.



I grew up, for the most part, in Bartlesville.  A not so small, very oil town about 45 minutes north of Tulsa (Population in July 2008: 35,914).

I lived there from age 4 on....my parents just moved from there 2 years ago.  They were there 30 years, same house. Even though it wasn't such a small town,  we lived in a small subdivison...8 of those neighbors were, or are still there 30+ years later.  All my sisters and I attended the same elementary, same jr high, and same high school.  So, while there were over 400 in my graduating class, we had a mall,  a civic ballet, and a skyline- it wasn't too big. It was the best of both worlds (please, excuse the horrible Hannah Montana reference- really I tried to think of something else but couldn't).   Also, it's where the Pioneer Woman is from, by the way.  Just a fun fact for ya.  I mean, she's no Chuck Norris, but, hey.

You know what else we have there? Awesome architecture. It's true. There is a Frank Lloyd Wright.  And our high school is an art deco masterpiece. Among, many many other beautiful structures like the Community Center and the home of Frank Phillips.  Which brings me to the expalnation of what has kept Bartlesville alive and from flatlining: Phillips 66.  Now known as Conoco/ Phillips. The largest employer in the city and the reason some of my friends lived in Houston, Borger, and then came back again.  People moving in and out was such a way of life there- but you always knew they might come back. Neither of my parents worked for Phillips.  We were minority.

Bartlesville will forever be my hometown- and I do miss going back there since my parents moved. The first time I'd been back in 2 years was 2 months ago. For my mom's funeral. What a reason, huh? Our church was just another beautiful building that I loved. Baptized there, friends there, married there- and now it holds a whole other sense. The town is sentimental to me now, more than before. It's where I'm from, where I lived for over half my life, where you should really visit sometime.  Being from there, you take all it's cool stuff for granted. I had a great childhood there, and still have friends from my Kindergarten class. That's really what I want for my kids, too.  How many of you are still in touch with your kindergarten class?

Housewife?

*Note:  Over at one of my new gigs that launches today The RHOK- we are doing MckLinky Monday, where we will ask a question, then you link up with your thoughts about it. So, this Monday it's "Define a Housewife". (Yes, I know it is Wednesday- but we are setting our groove, k? It will be Monday in the future!)

Well, for starters, since becoming housewife, I am never actually at home. You see, you really just get guilted into doing a whole lot of things for NO pay, instead of getting paid at a real job.  Eveyone's like-"Oh, she stays at home, ask her to do it!"  Also, I spend 85% of my life in my car driving someone somewhere, driving somewhere to get something, driving somewhere to do something for someone else, driving somewhere to pick someone up. Essentially, the job title should not be housewife. It should be Volunteer & Transportation Chairman, also in charge of Domestic Engineering and Site Maitenance, Education, and Accounting.

I don't really remember knowing any housewives in my younger life at all. Well, one stayed at home, but even then she watched other kids, ran here and there and volunteered elsewhere. Most of my friends mom's worked, just like mine did. We were latch key kids.  We had to get up on Saturday and clean the house.  Every Saturday, without fail, we cleaned before we did anything else. That's how we handled the house.  Even then, the term housewife seemed very June Cleaver. And I grew up in the 80's.

Housewife to me isn't demeaning. I mean, all the other "housewives" know what's involved. And, most of the non-housewives I know are certain they could never make it being one. I think people know the work involved. I think my kids are glad I am home and they have me at their disposal- and that is my favorite part of the job. If they need me or want me to come to something at school, or be the team mom or homeroom mom- I can. I think I do a good job because my kids actually ask me to do these things. That means I'm a successful housewife if you ask me, even if my laundry is never done and I despise emptying the dishwasher.

What do you think housewife means?