Roads, Radios and Deep thinking

I've been a-wanderin lately!

Ralph and I took Abby, Amanda and another friend (Dillon) to a leadership apprentice program in Glorieta New Mexico. 2 solid weeks of leadership training/working along side of the staffers at the Southern Baptist summer camps.
After dropping her off, Ralph and I headed up towards Colorado. I've always wanted to see the Rockies! In spite of the cloudy weather, the peaks and views are some of the most spectacular I've ever seen.
New Mexico was brown and dry as a chip and there is virtually no vegetation higher than 12 inches. Seems to me that a New Mexico landscaper would starve to death.

Rode into Dodge City ( in a van not on a horse) and was taken on a personal tour by a real live US Marshall who grew up there. He was at least 75 years old, wore a crooked mustache, a badge, spurs and a gun. He was thrilled to be a Dodge city tour guide but was struggling with the changes occurring in the city. As he walked away from a couple landmarks, I heard him softly mumble about the "knuckleheads" who were running the city these days. I was also bit sad as he tried to make his voice heard over a couple of young punks who drove by (twice) with rap music blaring.

They should have been scared.....He coulda shot 'em.

On the way home, Ralph took a nap in the passenger seat as I drove.
I was missing Abby and praying for her to become filled with God's presence.
I was missing Casey and hating for her to be home all alone.
I was missing Jae Lynn and the fact that we never again get to vacation with her.

As I drove through the dusky evening I asked God to please let a song come on the radio which would make me feel close to the child I haven't held in years. The first one which came on was a rock-n-roll song. (hee hee)


I switched stations and came upon this one.


I believe God is all powerful.
I believe God is all loving.
Jae's death doesn't fit in with those two huge concepts.

Gotta go.
Got to go re-read all those 74(!) blog posts I've written on Faith....

Branson, Jasper and Booger Hollow

Went to Branson for our 30th anniversary.

We went here when we got married back in 1980 and Branson Mo was a mostly wide spot in the road with a

cool place called "Silver Dollar City".

Back then our hotel had a theater across from it called

"The Corn Crib Theater".

It was one of about three places in town to go for a show and

we were almost the only ones in the theater that night.

My my my! how things change.

Branson today seems to me that it would be the

Southern version of the Las Vegas strip.

Gaudy signs.

A million hotels.

6 million souvenir shops.

I never really cared a whole lot about going,..

until we found the cabin you see in the following photos

It's made going so much more relaxing.

It's a one room deal,..with the giant sleep number bed

right out in the middle of the great room.

(in the above pic,..you can barely see it on the right)

The back porch (below) is completely enclosed and faces the woods.

The kitchen makes it comfortable to eat breakfast and

whatever else you want to cook

(which is nothing in my case)
On the way home, we decided to take

the "scenic" route down Hwy 7.

Jasper has this place called the Ozark Cafe (established 1909).

I thought it'd be closed since it was Sunday afternoon in

Jasper Arkansas.

Nope,..there were about 100 or so people in there.

No lie.

Ozark Cafe was in the middle of the tiny town square.

As I snapped a pic of one of the buildings,..

I noticed a For Sale sign!

Exciting!!

It looked like an old movie theater.

Ralph won't let me call,.......sniff

Everyone in Arkansas should say they've been to Booger Hollow




Kinda fuzzy but you can see that we have a double decker outhouse in Booger Hollow.
(Make sure you are always on the top)

Garmins, Deadbolts and Drunks

It's midnight.
It's storming in Virginia.
My daughters have so far, driven 18 hours to get to a town in that state.
At the moment they 2 hours from their destination and lost.
And exhausted.
"Maps? Who needs maps?" they said this morning. "We have the Garmin."

Ralph is trying to find a hotel which is close to where they are.
I am trying to remain calm.
Ralph's hairy daughter is even looking a bit stressed.

Still, as they drive through the darkened sleeping town of Charlottesville, my weary girls have suddenly perked up and are noticing stores and buildings to visit "first thing in the morning".

A phone call just informed us that "they are all locked in for the night".
Finally.
I can rest for the first time since 5 a.m.

(I have emailed Casey a map.)

******addendum to the above:******
text messages arrive to my phone about 20 minutes they are in their room:
Abby: I don't like it here.
me: Why?
Abby: (silence)
Me: ?
Abby: There are men outside our room.
Me: What are the men doing?
Me: Are ya'll locked in with the deadbolt in place?
Abby: Yeah....
Abby: I'm scared mommy.
Me: Did they say anything to you?
Abby: (silence)
Me: Call me.
Abby: I can't. Casey's sleeping.
Me: Well wake her up!
Me: (I try to call her)
Abby: Bad service. Can't answer your call.
Abby: I think they're drunk. They just left.
Me: If Casey is sleeping then it must be safe. Deadbolts are safe too.
Never hesitate to call 911 if you need someone to help you.
Me: TV on?
Abby: No.
Me: Good. You are exhausted. but safe with your sister and your dad and my prayers.
Sleep now. OK?

Silence for the rest of the night.
No rest for me after all....

My Job

Many of you have asked (thank you) about my job status ever since I mentioned here that the one I loved for the past 3.5 years has "gone away". (grrr)

Here's the scoop:

When my current job in cardiac rehab was phased out, I was promised a job in a small new unit called Cardiac Observation. Basically, it's a place cardiac patients can stay a few hours or perhaps the night while we monitor them.

I already know and love the staff and I don't particularly mind the 12 hours shifts but,.. the bad part is, that I am scheduled to work every other Saturday. Now that I just cain't do!

My humble (but important to me) social calender is booked!

Going to watch the Razorbacks gives me the excuse to go spend the weekend with Casey. Also Abby Rae has band competitions which is the funnest thing I've gotten to be involved in with her. These band competitions rank right up there with Jae's competitive Cheerleading competitions and Casey's ball tournaments.

So. I've been job-hunting.

Three interviews later, I am convinced that for the time being, I am to go on and park my little ole self in the Cardiac Observation Unit for awhile. There is a job on the horizon which I hope will pan out in the next few weeks, but until then,..I will give my patients and co-workers my undivided enthusiasm (which very well could overwhelm them - hee hee).

This week I'm on vacation.
My accomplishments for the week?
I finished off an entire package of Double-Stuff Oreos.

Vacation Ponders

**Been gone for 11 days and thought of my daddy when I walked through my front door tonight about 10:00pm..
Daddy used to come back from ______(wherever) and would unlock the front door, start breathing deeply and loudly proclaim how good it was to smell home.
I did that tonight as I walked through the door.

**Buffalo River is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. My friend Wayne created a special hand-controlled hoopy-car (he has an old spinal cord injury) and we went exploring some backwoods roads in the Ozarks. He began the trip by telling me how to brake the car "just in case". Oh the places we saw! (and I only screamed once!)

**5 adult bodies will crowd-up an RV camper of any size.

** Turned fifty on Tuesday.
Good frazzlin grief!
How can I be 50?
Everyone at the river with me was nice to me.... no black balloons or adult diapers. (That stuff all awaits me upon my return to work this Wednesday, I'm sure.)

**I'm aggravated at myself because I meant to take a picture of the old water slide which was one of my favorite blog posts from last year.
I'll just have to show you the picture next year.

**Went to Texas the last few days of this week.
I'm always amused at the sights down a Texas freeway. For instance,...
Every home's driveway has an arch over it. It doesn't matter if it's South Fork or if it's a trailer. You enter through some type of proud entrance.
The other interesting thing is that 97% of America's horse/boat/truck trailer businesses are between Texarkana and Dallas.
The economy has obviously touched the cattle business:
One ranch was selling cattle, hay bales (alfalfa-round or square bales), trained stock dogs AND of course,.... trailers.
You can tell even the architects think big in Texas. We entered the first town of Texarkana and the town is in the process of building a bridge which is, no lie, taller than the tallest freeway bridge in Dallas. Now what does (the relatively flat town of) Texarkana need with a mile high bridge to anywhere?

**The Canton Texas flea market is one of the coolest places I have ever laid my little shopping eyes on. It's called the "First Monday" flea market and it's evidently open the weekend before the first Monday of the month.
(It's actually closed by Monday.)
(Is that odd to anyone else besides me?)
Anyway,..call it whatever they want to, it's a spectacular place to shop. And I guaran-durn-tee-ya that you will find stuff that you simply can not walk away from.
You must go.

Take a truck.

You hear me?
Go.

**At the flea market, I found a large old rusty pig sculpture with yellow wings. Jae was a pig collector and yellow was her favorite color.
The pig now has a new home in my front yard.

**The best part about vacations is that I can enjoy and "connect" with family members who, like me, run like crazy through this life. Although the trips can occasionally get frantic with things like tickets, parking, money, etc,....those moments are usually sandwiched between things which are enjoyable.

**A dear elderly friend was recently placed in an "assisted living facility" in Dallas. On her first day she attended (under protest) an exercise activity so she could meet other residents. They welcomed her, greeted her warmly and offered a prayer for God to help "her to learn to love them as they knew they would her, and to help her to love her new home as much as they did."
It did my friend's heart so much good to be greeted with such Christian affection.
Is that not amazing?
Ministry never stops does it?
Residents of nursing homes ministering to one another.

**It's good to talk to you again. I'm off to New York this weekend for a presentation to the Bereaved Parents of the USA, so I'll talk to you in a week or so!

Camping Trip

This blog will be silent for a week or so.

I'm going to be in and out for awhile as we go on a camping trip to he Buffalo River. A place of my annual vacations and certainly a formative part of my life.

This week will bring sunburns, "skeeto" bites, huge breakfasts, inner tube floats, good reading, hammock time, fierce wahoo tournaments, good memories, deep sadness over Jae's absence, worry over mom as she misses her lover of 60 years and the patriarch of the river rats, long discussions of theology, and a milestone birthday for this old gal.

I'll miss you and will let you know if anything exciting happens (as it often does).

A Night To Remember

The other day at work, several of us were discussing the "best vacation we ever took".
Hhmmm.....let's see,...Buffalo River? always good, but too familiar to be exciting.
Disney?
Ahhhh. Now that one ranks up there with my all time favorite memories.

But I have to say, my most favorite one of all would be the summer of 1997.

That vacation was when we decided to grant Casey's request (she was 9 yrs old) and go "see some Indians" for a summer vacation.
I did a little research and found a Pow-Wow in Oklahoma for the Sac-Fox tribe.
Now, I had never heard of the Sac-Fox Indian tribe before, but the Oklahoma tourist guide boasted of a gigantic Indian festival full of authentic American Indian food, singing and dancing. From there, we planned a road trip to San Antonio, Texas to see cowboy stuff,.....i.e...the Alamo.

Packed up our trusty blue Dodge caravan and headed West.

The Indian Pow-Wow tourist guide gave times of the various events, but we quickly learned that the Sac-Fox tribe scoffs at schedules.
We also suspected that the Sac-Fox tribe were not consulted about having their Pow-Wow advertised in the Oklahoma tourist guide.
They were suspicious of us, blunt and even rude for pretty much the whole day. I'm pretty sure that we were the only ones there who were not Indian. (Although Casey was convinced she was indeed "one of them")
We stayed anyway. Even though I was intimidated all frazzlin day long.
Just told the girls it was "their culture".
I don't know, maybe it was.

The day was incredibly interesting and entertaining, but the temperature was in the 100's and we had no shelter.
As the festivities pow-wow appeared to be working into an all night deal, we decided to leave. The waiting, the heat and the lack of good food had us all looking forward to a hotel room somewhere, but the minute we climbed into the car to belt the girls in, they each fell asleep leaning all over each other.

Ralph and I pointed the car toward San Antonio and drove for hours.
Midnight came and went as we passed hundred "No Vacancy" signs.
We didn't care.
We had the windows rolled down, a little bit of money in our pockets, fun behind us, days of fun in front of us and our most treasured gifts from God sleeping in little Indian outfits behind us.

It was one of the best nights of my life.

Happy 28th anniversary

Ralph and I just returned home from a 2-night stay in Branson MO for our 28th wedding anniversary. I wished a thousand times I had brought my camera to spice up my post here, but then again,...it would have been my 29th wedding anniversary before I loaded them all onto the post.
sigh
Here are a few of my thoughts from the absolutely beautiful relaxing weekend I shared with my tee-rific husband.

**Branson is full of places to stay. However,..the best accommodations have finally been discovered! It's cabin #2 in the Westgate Resort. (Ralph found it on some "Branson log cabin rental web site). I will stay there from now on if it's possible. You should too.

**There is motel in Branson named: "Hi Ho". (Hee hee)

**Of course,..Branson is known for it's entertainment. The show for us this weekend was "NOAH: The Musical". The stage was phenomenal,..the singing was good,...the actors also good, the ticket prices horrible,...but the Faith lessons,....Oh the Faith lessons! Ralph and I have talked about them all day. VERY encouraging. I think I may start praying like Noah and his sons did,...looking up to God, praying out loud while holding my hands in the air.

**Ralph and I discussed all the important things. I think it is a good thing to take "inventory" of relationships, finances, spiritual walks, church work, children issues and every other important thing in our life. It's been too busy to have conversations like that in every day life.

**Ralph is a good shopper. What a guy. Comes from living with 4 females for all these years.

**There is a deep thinker in a teeny town called "Pindall, AR". Some of the street names are:

Epic
Eternity
Elope
Energy
Fast-track
and then,.....
Fillmore (Oh well)

**In Pindall,..there is also some sort of dragon sculpture which belongs in China. It's right there right beside somebodies ditch. It's probably 25 feet long. You pass something like that in a place like Pindall and wonder,.."did I just see a dragon?"

**Right past Pindall is a eatin place called "Roscoe's cafe". It must be good cause it was packed. It's near Pindall too.

**Ralph and I decided to meander home and stop whenever we had a fancy. We passed this auction place near Damascus and parked to look around. While shopping inside one of the junk stores,..a group of about 250 people gathered around the junk piles outside. I thought at first they were auctioning off our car, but ran outside and to my great relief saw they were only in a screaming bidding war for boxes of dirty broken toys, puzzles and kitchen gadgets. I heard somewhere that I would enjoy auctions. I see now that I would not. It's been a long time since I seen so much junk in one place. (My daddy's barnyard excluded).

**The same flea market/auction has a honest to goodness gallows. Trap door, long stairway and place to hang the rope. It's right there beside the rusty, portable metal jail cage. Except for the junk being auctioned off, we saw real treasures scattered around that place. Much of it was in a massive rusty junk pile which has been there as long as I can remember. However,..when I asked the price of one of the rusty pieces,..you guessed it,...the price was absurdly expensive. It's right beside the highway. I could go steal it tonight and no one would ever miss it.

**There's a church in Marshall, AR who said on their church sign that they were "Roundin up Souls for Jesus!". I wanna be in that posse.

**I signed up at the BumbleBee gas station to win a Harley-Davidson bike. Woo! That'd be fun.

Eating at the Cracker Barrel in Conway is always the sure sign that home is the next stop. In spite of the good times away, I could hardly wait to get there.
Home is where I belong.
Home is where my loved ones are.
Even though I was miles away, my loved ones were never out of my love or my thoughts.
The distance apart does not lessen the love.
The love is not lessened by the distance.
Whether my loved ones are on Centennial road or in Heaven,..it doesn't matter.

No Regrets

I, and part of my family, have rented condominiums on the beach of Gulf Shores, Alabama.

There have been many times here at the beach when I miss Jae Lynn, but it is not the overwhelming feeling of loss like it has been in the past. Just the feeling of sadness that is my normal.

Familiar pain.

Everyone has some type of it.
Maybe it is from having lost someone.
Maybe it is from family "issues".
Maybe it is financial.
Physical illness.
Mental illness.
Other hurts we just don't talk much about because it has become our "normal".

Here's the deal: No matter where we all go,.whether it is to Wal-Mart or to the beach,....we all take all drag our baggage along with us. It's a way of life for all of us. Some days we are good baggage handlers and some days we aren't.
We tend to get impatient with each other, don't we? Especially those that we love.

Vacations though, are a time for trying hard to love and invest in each other.

Thousands of people all around me here,..sunburned and tired,..but all trying to catch a bit of peace, rest and relaxation. I've seen a lot of people having some good times,..but I have also seen a lot of people irritating the fool out of each other.
Don't they know that this vacation may be their last together?
I have things to say to them, but they would probably not appreciate me foisting my baggage onto them.

My family is not perfect,..but I am blessed to be connected to them by blood, marriage and adoption. I wish they were all here.
Vacations are times to make memories and do things that you otherwise would probably not do.
Casey, Abby and Ralph went para sailing this afternoon.
I am planning to bungee-swing later in the week.
Bob's family is going deep-sea fishing in the morning.
We are making memories knowing that soon we will be home and back to our duties and obligations.

When I get home, I don't want to have any regrets about our time spent together here.

Home.
When I get home.
When I get to my Centennial road home.

Well,..come to think of it,..when I get to my real home too.
Little things here can translate into big things in Heaven.
No regrets!

Water Sliding at Buffalo River

When I was a teenager, there was a water slide near Buffalo River that gave me some absolutely fantastic memories. You see, back in the 70's, no one had ever heard of water slides around here. There was no "Wild River Country".

Water sliding was an entirely new concept for us teens.

Sometime during the camping trip, we would bum money from our parents, gather up every teenager in the camping group, gather up every other teenager in the park, load up into the back of one pick-up truck and head towards the place which we had anticipated all year. Once there, we paid for an hour, got a white foam mat, wore ourselves out careening down a winding, narrow concrete chute, landing at the bottom into a catch pool that was way too shallow. We then grabbed our mat and returned to the top by climbing a near-vertical hill.


The surface of this water slide was concrete. Not the polished kind of concrete that water slides are made of today. It was the surface of a concrete block.
Literally.
It was that rough. You learned quickly to STAY ON YOUR MAT! To let the mat come out from under your body meant, not only that you ruined your swimsuit, but you also lost whatever skin was exposed. The skin was usually freshly sunburned.
Ouch!

Did I mention that the owners did not seem to know how much chlorine was too much? There were no germs or algae growing in that water slide.
It smelled and felt like pure Clorox.

One of the things that made this water slide so great was that there were no rules. Actually there were a few posted, but we never obeyed them and the teenage boy "in charge" never enforced them. In fact, he occasionally grabbed a mat and slid down with us.

We could go down the boring way with our butts on the mat, or take our life in our hands and go down face first. There were even a couple of us (not me!) who attempted to go down standing up!

"Let's make a train!"
By placing all of our mats in a line and hooking our legs around the person in front of us, we could make a train of 7-10 people. The weight of multiple people sent us down the slide at warp speed and often sent us nearly over the top of the curves. By the time we reached the landing pool at the bottom, we were out of control and convinced that death was a certainty.

At the end of the "train" ride, pity the poor person who was in front. They were occasionally trapped underwater, at the bottom of the pile of mats and laughing, screaming bleeding teenagers.
We usually fought to be in front.

After our hour was up, we piled ourselves into the pick-up truck for the 5 minute ride back to camp and spent the rest of the day comparing abrasions, inspecting ruined swimsuits, rubbing our red burning eyes and laughing at ourselves and each other.
Bed time sure felt good on those nights.

Now, when I go camping with my family, and pass the place of this water slide, I will often pull up to that deserted tiny building and look down the hill towards the winding piece of concrete which is now covered with vines, leaves and faded blue paint.
My kids have heard of the fun.
They are jealous.

It's been closed now for years.
I am sure that water slide authorities (whoever they are) would never allow it to be open. It would be "way too dangerous":
The curves too sharp,
the descent too steep,
the landing pool too shallow,
the chemicals too strong,
and of course, the surface too rough.
However, when I think of all the hundred times I have been down other water slides,...the safe ones,... I have never even come close to experiencing the laughing, screaming exhilaration like I did at the Buffalo River slide.

Of course, it was dangerous,.....that's what made it great.