The Organizer

My daughter-in-law has the gift of organization. She likes to use her gift to help others. She cleans up messes that other people make.

While the rest of the adults saw a movie at the theater, Audra organized my daughter's pantry. This feat turned into a video that Audra and John made as their talent for this year's Christmas Family Talent Show.

A legend in our family, now I share Audra with the world.

Audra Frugé in "The Organizer"

This is not the end, only the middle of a continuing story . . .

Amaryllis by New Year's

The amaryllis surprises; the life is in the bulb.

Last year, the bulb I planted had no flowers. This one has three blossoms so far. A wonder to watch it open, it gets top-heavy and tips over so a stake and a tie help support the weight.

It's worth the wait.
 

A friend planted this bulb in a glass bowl and told me to water it with ice cubes, 4 or 5, a couple of times a week.

I started taking pictures every day after Christmas. It didn't take long to go from this . . .

 . . . to this.

 Aerial view.

 And now I can't decide which view I like best.

Here's a link to basic information about amaryllis bulbs because this glorious flower does all the work. No green thumb required.

Texas Tech Football 2011

Texas Tech University plays its last home football game today against #2 ranked OSU. Expect to get blown away, both literally and figuratively as high winds are forecast.

But football tracks with the seasons, and as this season of high level spectator sport concludes, fans like me have fun even when the team loses.

The Tech versus A&M game was my personal favorite. I wore a Tech sweatshirt, sat in a season-ticket-holder seat and thought about the story of the little boy who refused to sit down in church. Finally, his mother succeeded in making him sit, but he said, "I'm sitting down on the outside but standing up on the inside." That was me at that game. I had to look like I rooted for Tech, but in truth I cheered for A&M, on account of my Aggie son, Jordan.

Now I'm wistful, too, about the breach from the Big 12 by A&M, which made this possibly the last time Tech will play A&M in Jones Stadium, at least for the foreseeable future. So here's my tribute to the Fightin' Aggie Band.

Read here to learn why this statue of Will Rogers is on the campus of Texas Tech http://www.ttu.edu/traditions/rogers.php

Coach Tommy Tubberville and his gunslingers … a tribute to Tombstone, maybe?

Storm Front

First game and I bailed when a storm front blew in. One minute, dead calm. The next, gusts of wind brought dirt from harvested cotton fields to the north to engulf the stadium. Temperature dropped 25 degrees in minutes. Lightning struck in the sky behind the Jumbo-tron.

"We gotta get outta here. (pause) Yeah, we gotta get out."

Dark settled in the midst of daylight.

The last patch of blue before the sky goes granite grey.

Oh, say, can you see?

Tech's band in their matador uniforms carry on school traditions, too.

"You wanna play some football?"

Guns up

Tribute to US flag, Sonic and son-in-law, Chris

Nobody does sunset better than West Texas

Lift off: four feet off the ground

Tech has had some high points this season and I hope they distinguish themselves in a good way during today's game. Lubbock fans are crazy for their football team.

"Ya'll come back, Ya hear?" (Coach Tubberville didn't say that. Granny Clampett did, but when it comes to football, that's what every coach hopes for, right? The fans will return, the players will improve and the coach will keep his job.)

Intentional

My friend, Marcia

Where have all the bloggers gone?

Like others, I have gone missing in action to pursue other concerns.

Has anyone missed me? I mean, really?

But I have missed blogging.

Still hacking away at a manuscript that I began in earnest at the beginning of 2011, I find this "book" (a memoir) the hardest to complete of all the projects I have ever begun.
And it's teaching me something about myself that I needed to learn.

Unless I enjoy the process, the product will disappoint.

During my second year at DTS, my great friend Marcia spent the night with me, and I shared with her my discouragement about school. She startled me by saying, "You will finish, Carol. You're a 100%-er. You finish what you start."

Pictures I took of Marcia when I studied photography at AC

And she was right, too. I did finish in 2008. And because I did not enjoy the process during the 4 years spent attending seminary, I have failed to appreciate that accomplishment.

Why has it taken me so long to realize this?

My friend's date of birth falls on Veteran's Day.
I will be thinking of her that day, as on so many other days since her departure. I wish she could have seen me graduate. I wish she were still here to celebrate another birthday. I wish she could have imagined a better future.

Rather than give up, I plan to blog again. Marcia would have been glad.

Here's the Hook

Fishing for fingers but he caught a thumb!

Imagine a fishing lure––a treble hook––attached to a rod leaning against the wall inside a friend's garage and within seconds Beau had grabbed the rod and the lure had him hooked.

By the time I got to the doctor's office, Beau had conked out. Dr. Klepper called this the body's natural defense against pain.

My daughter, seated in a chair while elevating Beau's arm, had a barf bucket next to her as Beau had thrown up several times. Both boy and boy's mother looked white as ghosts. Mother of four, her eyes conveyed that familiar expression, "Can you believe this?"

The hook was embedded deep in Beau's thumb so that the large looped part stuck out more than an inch. Friend Randy had used wire cutters to cut first the lure from the fishing line, next the 2 other 3-pronged hooks off the lure, and then the other 2 equally sharp hooks off of this one. Randy told his wife Robin that he had just bought the wire cutters yesterday, replacing the pair he had lost 6 months ago.

The doctor used locking forceps to push the hook in before pulling it out from its point of entry. "There's lots of ways to do this. I've tried them all. This is the best."

First thing twin brother Beck said when they got in the car, "Beau, you need to be more careful." And then a few seconds later he asked, "Beau, are you okay?"

And what does 4-year-old Beau remember? At the end of the day he said, "I was brave."

Shall We Sew?

 

Apropos: Rose and I named the dress form Scarlett

Weeks ago, I started making costumes for my daughter Rose. Up until the last minute when I had to leave for a writer's workshop in Santa Fe a week ago, instead of singing "Shall We Dance," I hummed Shall We Sew … duh-duh-duh-duh.

Opening night was last night for Lubbock Moonlight Musical's production of The King and I, and Rose plays Anna. 

Shall we dance? One, two, three and

Granddaughter Ava loves to play dress up. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

For the skirt, I started with this formal, removed the bodice, added a waistband and an underskirt.

 Shall We Dance costume was the hardest dress I ever made, remade or fitted.

 And when I finished, I felt like dancing. duh-duh-duh-duh.

Making a mess: my husband says I excel at it.

While Rose and the rest of the cast swelters in the record-breaking heat––I am very sad about the heat––I sit at 7300 feet in Santa Fe, the last day of a writer's workshop with Lauren Winner at The Glen. More about that later.

Whether I am more sad about the heat or missing opening weekend, I cannot decide. The King and I has performances tonight and the next two weekends, Friday and Saturday night, 8:00 p.m. at Mackenzie Park. I intend to be there. 

Directed by Gerald Dolter and Musical Director Jacob Miller, come see this classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical performed by a great cast and orchestra.

Happy 4th of July in Livingston, Montana

Even houses get decked out for the 4th of July

I love a parade. And so do millions of other people. Especially in small towns do people turn out to watch a parade. This year I got to watch the rodeo parade in Livingston, Montana, which reminded me so much of when we lived in Pampa, Texas. 

We picked a spot in the shade of the Post Office to watch the parade.

Crowds gathered in 90 degrees heat long before the parade started.

Let parade begin 

Woody, a real beauty

Kids line the street, scrambling to collect candy 

One of the first entrants, I wonder how long this Cub Scout lasted.

We would never have made it to Montana from Texas driving these cars. But wait, pioneers rode in wagons and on horseback. 

Bagpipe players in Montana? Life is filled with surprises.

 
Twirlers and majorettes from 1957 until now marched in their school colors. How cool. 

"Mothers, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys." Yeah, right. 

20 Mule Team Borax? No. Outfitters.

Who dares dissent? Or argue with Betsy Ross?

A unicycle or a tri-cycle? Yes, he can ride and juggle.

A mad hatter

This horse is walking backwards.

The flavor of the Old West, cowboys and Indians

Patriots and Old Glory, and an old movie theater, too

Oodles of vintage cars in pristine condition …

… but this '55 Chevy had fuzzy dice

Clowns floated by

A skunk bug made a big stink 

Is it over?

Come back next year. We just might.