And, in other news, we had the big yearly Auxiliary Barbeque today! We had it at our local horse ranch, in the arena.. we had pony rides for the kids, (and one adult) live music, boneless ribs, chicken and sausage, cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans, your choice of almost any kind of desserts, door prize drawings, a bake sale, with those cinnamon rolls we had last fall.. remember those, Maria and Kelly??LOL We had a blast. We didn't have quite the turnout we wanted, but it was a success, and the pony rides were quite popular!

But, now I'm dead tired!! So, I think I'll go and save more rambling thoughts for another post.. You all be good, and get to blogging! Don't be a slacker like I've been!

Then, opening them!! There was a lovely journal, perfect for blog ideas, or a great prayer journal, some note cards and a notepad, all with a great design. There was also a great dish with a blackboard center and a piece of chalk! And I got a Joy Jar!!!! Yea! The greatest joy thoughts on pieces of paper..when you need a dose of joy, you just open one up! And it's a pin cushion on the lid.. How handy is that?? Then there was an adorable apron to wear while I cook! I needed one, too.. It's a beautiful bright floral pattern. THEN, there is a bath set of wonderful shower gel, lotion, and a great scrunchii for them. All things to pamper myself and improve myself!! What a wonderful gift box! And the candy tastes just like lavender smells. I'll get a pic up as soon as I resolve the weird problem I'm having with downloading..

This was so much fun! Thank you so much Shannon! You're such a creative person! I love these swaps!

Well, what a week! Today it was 50 degrees.... three hours later it's 23,  with a wind chill of 14, going toward 7 tonight!!  I think you northerners need to keep your cold temperatures!! LOL I started a  fire in the fireplace a bit ago. Naturally, I had things I had to do outside after it started getting cold.

Thanks to all for all the prayers, good vibes,  and wishes.. My dad had surgery Monday morning, and came home Tuesday night.. He's uncomfortable,  but doing very well. It went just as his doctor thought, although worse than she thought.. and she thinks he will recover fully, and have MUCH less pain from here on out. We're thrilled. Just have to get him healed up, now.. He's a horrible patient. I think I take after him

And I'm getting used to only two cats.. it's actually kind of nice, since I only have two hands! But, I still miss my Magic.. she was my baby.. before I adopted  these two..

I've had LOTS more drama from Florida, but I'll spare you..I continue to learn more about people as I wander along through life, and I find them fascinating...  occasionally very sad, and sometimes happy, but not usually boring. Or is this only the people I associate with?

 And I didn't know they were going to start showing LOST tonight!! They are showing the last few episodes of last season, in preparation for next weeks premiere.. I am fastened securely to my new TV I got after Christmas!!! Yes, I know I forgot to tell you. I was so excited about my camera. My bro bought my dad a new bigger HD TV.. So I got their last one, which isn't very old, and has a built in DVD/VCR!! It's a little bigger than mine, but it won't fit in their guest room, so I got it!! Yea me!

Well, I think I've run down, now.. be back soon.. I'm double posting some of my entries, just until some people have gotten settled..

Well, it's that time of year.. does anyone want any Moonflower seeds? We had a great growing year, and Nadine had a wonderful planting from our seeds, too!! In fact, hers may have outdone ours!!LOL Which is great! If you'd like some moonflower seeds, just message me your address. I have an instruction sheet I'll send with them.             

Moonflowers are similar to morning glories, but they open during dusk and are gone the next day about 8 or 9 am. Those flowers wilt and die.. they only open once. The vine keeps putting on flowers for a month or more. At the end of the season, they put out these spiky balls full of seeds. Just let them dry and they'll open up and reseed themselves,  and can be given away. They are perennials in tropical type weather, and annuals in colder climates. And they smell INCREDIBLE!! Kind of a cross between a gardenia and a rose, and you can smell them just walking by the plant! They are quite beautiful, and a conversation starter!

So.. if you'd like some, just send me your address!! They are easy to grow! They like full sun, and don't care if the ground's hard..

I am always amazed that anyone can surprise  me.. but they still can, occasionally.  Sorry I've been gone so long.  I had a blog friend flame out on me, for no reason, and it kind of upset me, for a bit.. but I'm over it now.. I've also been extremely busy! We gave the Fire Dept.  the money to buy reflective vests for every firefighter..

Evidently the state has come out with some new rules. So.. into the breech comes the Auxiliary!!LOL Now we are working on Wildland boots for each firefighter! We always have a goal! We are also starting to support the local Crisis Line, and a local Hospice. We're branching out, and making more opportunities to earn funds!  Our next one is our Craft Fair..

that's a HUGE undertaking, which is also lots of fun. We have lots of booths, with wonderful artists, and we have the Firehouse Cafe..

where we serve homemade cinnamon rolls in the morning, and soup and a sandwich for lunch. This has been VERY popular the last two years.. So, *sigh* more hard work.. but it is fun, and we get to see the booths first! I can get some Christmas shopping done, maybe! I wish you could all come to our craft fair!

I finally got my baby back from the computer hospital!! It was very stressful having her in the hospital so long. Evidently lots of people got fried the same night I did, and the repair guy has been swamped. I have been soooo busy, and I have LOTS to talk about today! So, go get a snack and sit back and let's talk!

Well, I got to meet one of my fellow bloggers! Stephanie!! She and her three girls are following the mother road this summer.. Route 66!! A fairly long stretch of it runs within 1/2 hour of me. I've driven it and lived near it my whole life! So, we arranged to meet on one section of my road, at Clanton's restaurant in Vinita. They were a little late, which was not a problem.. too many great things to see in the area! I told her I wished they had an extra day to see all the things in our neck of the woods! Anyway, we had a delightful lunch, and she and her girls are wonderful. And, I must say, her girls are a welcome change from a lot of kids today. They were well-behaved and patient, and didn't constantly interrupt, wanting her attention. Such a refreshing difference from a lot of kids today. They are, however, beautiful, so I'm sure she and her husband will need a BIG shotgun to keep the boys away! I'm so glad we made time to meet!

I got to stay a couple of days in the nearest Small town. My bff was on vacation, and she and her dad needed to go to Texas to see a relative that was ill.. So, I went in and dog-sat a couple of days, and washed blankets in her large washer and dryer! Tuckered myself out!LOL

OK.. you all have to see the latest trick of Miss Maddie.. Jenn has posted a video of Maddie on her myspace, which is public. So, if you want to see what amuses us, go watch her amazing talents!!LOL That talent, and her razzberries kept us in stitches all weekend!

You should have been here for our Fourth of July celebration!! We had Miss Maddie and her parents, my bro's ex (the girl's mom), Mary, and Jenn's bff, her husband and their 15 month old son, Aiden..  the cutest little boy ever! We swam, had fun, played with the kids, and in the afternoon, we always sit on the deck and have "happy hour". It may start by 4 if the kids are really hungry.. Mom puts out a few dips and anything she has come up with for finger food, just to keep everyone going til we had grilled chicken for dinner. Everyone gets a beer, or drink, or soda or whatever, and we just sit around and visit, catch up on what's happening, and just enjoy each other. We've done this since I was a kid, and it's one of the things all the girls love about Grandma's. All the grandkids talk about "happy hour" whenever they talk about fun at the lake. (Grandpa always makes the little ones a special "drink", too.. it's sprite  with a couple of cherries in it.) It's a time when the children really are part of the conversation (and the entertainment!), and they love it. Anyway, we were all sitting there visiting, when my brother called, from California. He talked to Mary (his youngest) for a few minutes, then told her to get Grandma on. Kind of ticked her off,as she was in the process of trying to schmooz him into buying her a car! But she gave the phone to Grandma. They're talking, when I felt someone walk up behind me. I turned to look, and it was my bro! He walked around in front of Mom, still talking. She looked up, looked at the phone, screamed and threw the phone, and jumped up to hug him! He and his wife had decided to surprise everyone and fly in for the weekend!It took all of us a minute to respond! And it was hard on those that could see him walking down the porch to keep their faces straight so Grandma wouldn't know til he got to her! What can I say.. we may be lame, but we enjoy ourselves! And we had three big fireworks shows on the lake, two of which we could see from our deck! How's that for service?

And the fun never ends.. Monday, after bidding John and Rosanna good-bye, Mom and I had a board meeting at 3, then we had to decorate the firehouse for the meeting that night, which was a Crisis Line speaker, and open to the public. Every month, two or three different members provide the refreshments for the meeting, and a little decorating. Nothing too elaborate, (unless you're my mother) just mainly on the serving table. Since it is July, we decorated for the Fourth, (of course)

and every July (for years) Mom and whoever, (her bff, and now me) have provided root beer floats for the refreshments. Now everyone looks forward to them, and won't let us stop! So, we ended up making about 35 root beer floats!!! Then we had to clean it all up! Luckily, our members are always very helpful, and it never takes long to clean up. But, after the weekend we had, we were tired!

Well, I guess I've caught you all up on the latest boring details of my life!! At least I enjoy myself! I'll get around and catch up.. don't hate me if I comment on old posts. The laptop I was using was great to be able to read, but it uses Win 98. Now I remember why XP seemed so great in comparison! For some reason, it didn't want to comment in Spaces! It had less problem with blogspot, etc., but in spaces, it took forever, stalled, hiccuped, anything.. I lost patience many times, and decided I didn't need to comment that badly.. sorry. But, I'm up and going now!!

Well, it's Friday!! And Friday, the 13th to boot!!  Now, this means very little to me, but to those of you that work Monday to Friday, it's great!! And I remember loving Friday! Although, as a nurse, I rarely had every weekend completely off in my career.. as a matter of fact, I can't remember.. yep.. there was one job.. as an HIV case manager that I had no duties on weekends and holidays.. But.. most of my career, I worked at least every third weekend. And, I really recommend it! Other than the fact that NO ONE else is ever on the same schedule..lol.. it really is nice to have days off during the week every week.. You can plan appointments, chores that must be done during the week, volunteer to do something with the children's class at school. I went in and assisted Morgan's teacher sometimes.. or just went and had lunch with her! She loved it! (when she was little.. ) And Friday the 13th has always been my blessed day!! I refuse to accept superstition. So, I expect to be blessed on days that the superstitious say I should be scared! I love full moons, etc. Anyway.. it's been a good day!

And this weekend is just MONSTROUSLY busy for me!! Jenn's father-in-law will be here to visit from Canada, so little Miss Maddie will be up to visit!! It's also time for our...

10th ANNUAL LUAU!!!! er.. BARBEQUE!!! The Auxiliary has had an annual luau for 9 years (obviously). But, since it is Flag Day, we decided that was getting old, anyway, so we changed it! We're that way, you know. One of our "weekender" Island residents is the founder/owner of a wonderful barbeque sauce company, here in Oklahoma. Every year he donates the meat for this event, and he and his son bring their HUGE charcoal grill/smoker, and cook all this meat for our function! We have boneless beef ribs (YUM), chicken breasts or pork loin, and a special sausage he makes, that comes in rolls, kind of like a pork loin does.. it is to kill for, after it's been smoked!! Yes, Jane, we even smoke sausages here!! We make baked beans, potato salad, iced tea, lemonade, coffee, and DESSERTS!! We usually serve around 200 people! So, I'm sure I'll be totally wiped out by Saturday night! Then Sunday morning, early (sob), we'll meet for breakfast for Father's Day for Maddie's Grandpa on her Dad's side, her Daddy, and her Great Grandpa on her Momma's side!! We all just love Jenn's father-in-law, so we'll do stuff with them all weekend.

So everyone celebrate Father's Day! My friend, Dory, is posting people's Father's Day posts this week and weekend, and has one of mine to post.. I'm not sure when. She did this in May for Mother's Day, too! So, go read people's stories for Father's Day! And all of you fathers.. Happy Father's Day!!!