Larry's new site

Check out Larry's new web site at larrydbrown.com. He's got some great pictures on it!

Counting the Days!

When we were planning to go to Tennessee in January, I made calendars for the kids so they could mark off days until we got there and until baby Thad was born. This time I made myself a calendar so I could mark off the days. I can't want to see those kids! It has been 3 1/2 months, and that is way too long. So I'm counting down days until I fly out there, then drive back with Hilary and the kids!

It's good to have something to look forward to! It won't be long until I'll start marking days off in anticipation of another little

grandbaby in August!

Can't Wait!

I get to see my grandbabies in about 2 1/2 weeks!

A Dirty Little Story

Friday after work I rode with Larry out north of town to a Prairie Chicken Lek. Prairie Chickens are on the endangered species and a Lek is where they do their mating dance. They are pretty skittish, so to get pictures of them you have to get into your blind an hour before sunrise, then sit and wait for them to make their appearance. To keep from having to get up so early and setting the blind up in the dark, Larry decided to put the blind up the night before.

So off we go, on the trek to the Lek. Though it's a little out of character for me, I went right along beside him, including shimmy-ing under a low barbed-wire fence. I helped him set the blind up, which was no easy task in the wind. Then Larry debated about whether to leave it there because it was so very windy. After deciding the stakes would hold on through the night, we started making our way back to the car.

Again I had to get flat on my back and scoot under the fence. I got up, brushed myself off and commented to Larry that he probably thought I was too big of a pansy to do that. Just about that time my foot landed in some mud, slipped out from under me, and down I went. I didn't get just a little muddy - I was covered. I got up and washed my hands off with some near-by snow. There were some newspapers in Larry's car, so I spread them out on the seat so I wouldn't have to take my clothes off to ride back into town.

I do hope Larry enjoyed having company along on this little outing, because though it was pretty funny, it may be awhile before I venture out in the "wild" again!

When I am Old I Shall Wear Purple

There is a poem that starts out something like "When I am old I shall wear purple..." I don't know about the full poem, but that line is my new motto. I do love purple and wear quite a bit of it. Yesterday I walked into a hospital room to see an elderly lady from our church. I had on a purply-blue jacket and Margurette told me that my purple jacket made my hair look lavendar. So another good reason to wear purple is because it matches my hair.

Last week we had Bunko at my house. Shelly - our youngest player in the group - had just had a "milestone birthday" so I had our theme be purple. I told everyone to wear purple. I found all kinds of pretty purple plates, forks, spoons, knives, napkins, etc. I even put blueberries in the Pink Lemonade. Three people forgot to wear purple or didn't have purple...but not to worry...I had something purple for each of them to put on.

We had a grand time eating, playing bunko, watching Shelly open her gag gifts - someone had even made her a hat out of a purple basket. Of course, we had to have a group picture so I wanted to share that picture.

Getting old doesn't mean you can't wear purple or can't have fun. We had a ball!

Hymns

"O THAT WILL BE GLORY"
When all my labors and trials are o'er,
And I am home on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,
Will through the ages be glory for me.

O that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me.
When by His grace I shall look at His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.

Friends will be there I have loved long ago,
Joy like a river around me will flow,
But just a look at my Savior I know
Will through the ages be glory for me.

This is one of my favorite hymns. I love to sing hymns about seeing Jesus' face. What is one of your favorite hymns or choruses?

Time Travel

I am watching several of the "Love Comes Softly" movies based on the books by Jeanette Oke. If you haven't seen them or read the books you really should. I have watched them all several times. They are some of those movies that you can watch over and over and still enjoy. I've read the books too, many years ago. We have them in our church library. They are a fast read and you'll want to hurry and read the next one and the next one and...

But the point of this post is that these stories are based in about the mid to late 1800's I think. The main characters of the first book have a daughter who becomes the main character of later story lines. In the second story she marries and moves far away - probably about the distance from Woodward, Oklahoma to Nashville, Tennessee, so her husband can begin a cattle business. They travel, start a home, begin their cattle business and have a couple of kids and finally her father gets to come and visit - about 5 or 6 years later!

I can't imagine living in a time when it had to be so long between visits. I have been home from seeing Hilary, Brent, Hollace, Rhett and Thad for about 3 weeks now and it has been too long. I don't know when we will get to go again. Hopefully they will get to come here this Spring. But I'm certain it won't be five or six years, and if we had to we could hop in a plane and be there in a few short hours. I hate that they live so far away, but I am so thankful that we live in a time when travel isn't so prohibitive!

Rick and Terry get to go see them over Spring Break. They haven't met Thad yet and I know they are anxious! Or "yankus" as Hilary used to say! I wish I could stow away and go with them.

More on Singing ChurchWomen

This past Tuesday the Singing Churchwomen had a concert at FBC. It was a great concert. It was a lot of work having them at our church, but it is always fun. Tuesday morning Larry commented on the fact that it won't be so tiring because we wouldn't be getting home real late. That is true, but it is much harder getting ready for the concert at our church than it is to drive to a concert and then get home late. But it is worth it. It is fun being the host-church.


I got to substitute in handbells, playing the largest bells for the first time. It was fun, but they are so heavy I wore blisters on my hand after the first practice. Then someone told me to wear double gloves, which I knew but didn't think about.

I have been in Singing Churchwomen about 18 years I think. I just love it.

Larry took some pictures at the concert. I don't like to have my picture taken, but I'm going to post a couple of them anyway. One reason to post them is because I don't have that many pictures to post. Another reason is because our dresses are so sparkley and pretty. And another reason is because if you ever wondered what my mother looks like - now you can know. I can't believe how much I look like her. If I didn't know better, I 'd think she was at the concert!

Concert on Tuesday

This Tuesday we will have a Singing ChurchWomen concert at our church. I am excited about that! It is a lot of work getting ready for it, but it is always fun to have it at our church. Hope you can come to the concert. There will be about 200 women singing praises to our King! It is so awesome being a part of this choir. Come and bring a friend or neighbor!

Things I Have Done

Things I Have Done
Started your own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band
Visited Hawaii
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than you can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland/world
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child
Had food poisoning
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitchhiked
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping - it's too late for that now!
Been to a Broadway show
Ran a Marathon - HA
Been in three states at once
Ridden in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a Cruise
Seen Niagara Falls in Person
Visited the birthplace of your Ancestors
Seen an Amish community
Taught yourself a new language -That is if you count pig-latin. I am fluent in pig-latin.
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing - small rocks, like Red Rock Canyon in Hinton
Seen Michelangelo’s David
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - It is incredible!
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had your portrait painted- We had a family portrait painted when I was a child.
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Been to Grace Kelley’s grave in Monaco
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business - Does selling Tupperware count?
Taken a martial arts class
Swam in the Mediterranean Sea
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout cookies
Gone whale watching
Gotten flowers for no reason - Thank you, Larry
Donated blood, platelets or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
Bounced a check
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten Caviar
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone
Been on a speeding motorcycle - I don't know that it was necessarily speeding.
Seen the Grand Canyon in person - Incredible!
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem - But this would be one of my dreams!
Had your picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared my own meat
Had chickenpox
Saved someone’s life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous - Babbie Mason. And when I went to California once I saw two movie stars - King Kong and Jaws
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
Been involved in a law suit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee

And I would like to add one more of my own:
Stayed up too late playing on the computer!
Good night!

Movie Time

Hollace and I watched "Pollyanna" about 5 times while I was in Nashville. Watching movies in bed has always been one of Hollace and my "bonding" activities. I can't count how many times we have watched "Cinderella", "Snow White" and other classic Disney movies. I love old movies, and Pollyanna is one of my favorites. I also love "Imitation of Life", "Yours, Mine and Ours" and "Angels in the Outfield." I guess my most-favorite movie would be "The Sound of Music." What are some of your favorite movies?

News from Nashville

No, I haven't left Woodward for Nashville in hopes of a country-gospel singing career. The news is more exciting than that! Baby Thad is here! He was born Wednesday in the early morning. We barely got to the hospital in time - we were just there about an hour total when he came! I sure am glad Larry and I decided to come a couple of days early! For a while on the way to the hospital I was thinking about how things would go if Brent and I had to deliver the baby before we got there. It was quite different than the five minute drive to the hospital in Woodward. If you want to see some cute pictures of my precious grandbabies go to Hilary's blog. I didn't even have my camera with me at the hospital.
Larry left today and I plan to stay this next week and help out a little. Of course I won't spoil the kids any!

Life is a Cycle.

I'm not so good at posting on my blog. I think I have to wait until I have lots of time and pictures to go with everything - but I don't think that is going to happen, so I'm just going to go ahead and post now.

Today I sang at a funeral for Arnold Pratt. He was a very, very dear man - one of my favorite people. He would have been 94 in February. He always gave me a hug and encouragement. He was still teaching Sunday School the Sunday before last. He sang in the choir until he was 90. I will really miss Arnold and I know lots of people here at church will. He has given some money so we can have an automatic door at one of the entrances so the "old people" can get in the door easier.

Monday I sang at my grandmother Patton's funeral. She was 98. She was an amazing woman! She lived by herself until she was past 96. On her 96th birthday my cousin gave her a ride on his motorcycle. I guess she liked it because she got another ride on her 97th birthday. (Does that qualify for a "cycle of life?") She had five children, 20 grandchildren and many, many great-grandchildren and several great-great grandchildren. Hollace had the privilege of meeting her and going to see her a few times. She made the best home-made noodles in the world...and continued making them as long as she was at home. She was a great cook. She was also a wonderful seamstress. She made lots of beautiful quilts. On her casket, instead of flowers, they had three of her quilts. I thought that was really neat. She was Emmanual Baptist Church, Enid's oldest member.

Both my grandmother and Arnold lived long Christian lives. Last Monday I went to Mike Duncan's mother's funeral. She lived a great Christian life, but just not as long. I believe she was 73 and she died suddenly. I didn't know her well, but if Mike is a testament of the kind of woman she was, then I'm impressed, because I think Mike is the greatest.

This Saturday I will attend one more funeral - for Dedrick Washington. I'm not sure how old Dedrick was - around 32 or so. I'm so sad for Nicole and Nyomi and Isaiah. What a tragedy!

So that is my sad past 2 weeks. I look forward to the next few weeks being happy as I get to go meet my new grandson who is due the first part of February!

Life is a cycle! If you haven't read Ecclesiastes 3 in awhile, now is a good time to do that.

Christmas Survey - after the fact

Hilary tagged me, and I just read this today. So I will fill it in. It has been so long since I posted and I have been so erratic, that I don't know if anyone even still checks mine. But I will do it anyway. I will try to do better about posting.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate. I don't care for Egg Nog at all!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? When Santa came to our house when the girls were little we would wrap most of them. We would set out boxes and wrapping paper so they wouldn't wonder how Santa got wrapping paper just like ours.

3. Colored lights on house/tree or white lights? No lights on the house. Unless you want to count the yellow bug light on our front porch. I did put a little snowman that you stick in the ground out in front of the porch this year.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I really don't recall ever hanging Mistletoe. I do remember there sometimes being some in my house as I was growing up.

5. When do you put your decorations up? When the girls were home we'd usually put the tree up the first week of December. I am not a Scrooge, but I didn't put up a tree this year or last year. And this year the only decoration I even had out was one I received for a gift this year.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? I don't know of one favorite dish, but our tradition has been to have "finger foods" on Christmas Eve, and that is still what we do whatever day the girls are home.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? I remember one year my older sister and I got real pretty purple dresses alike, and they were hanging on the tree when we got up on Christmas morning.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? One year I heard my mother talking to my aunt about hiding a train set that Santa brought my brothers. I think I was about 9 or so. Maybe I already suspected, I don't know.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Now that the girls are older, we just open our gifts whenever both girls and their families can be home. When I was a little girl we opened family gifts on Christmas Eve and Santa gifts on Christmas morning.

10. How do you decorate your tree? When I decorated a tree, it would be filled with the girls' ornaments. Sometimes I'd have different colored lights and sometimes all blue.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I like it fine. I love to look at it from inside the house, but don't love getting out in it so much.

12. Can you ice skate? I took ice skating one "J-Term" (January class) in college one year. I actually caught on very fast and no one could believe I had never ice skated before. I could do figure 8's and skate backwards, etc. But by about the third time my ankles hurt so back I could barely walk, let alone skate. So that is the extent of my ice skating.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Maybe when I got a Barbie house. I don't think I'll tell how old I was when I got it.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? Remembering the birth of our Savior!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Like them all. I really like fudge.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? My girls getting to come home. It has been so easy since Hilary lived here and her in-laws also lived here. But I told Sydnie the easy days were probably over now. It will be harder to get the schedule worked out.

17. What tops your Christmas tree? There's nothing on the packed away Christmas tree. In the past I've had several different things. Maybe an angel most of the time.

18. Which do you prefer-giving or receiving? Giving. And if I do my shopping too early, it's hard for me to keep it until Christmas. Or I get excited as Christmas nears and buy more.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? I just love Christmas music. I don't know if I could pick just one favorite. My favorite album is Amy Grant's Christmas album. I like to listen to it all year long.

20. Candy Canes-yum or yuck? I like them fine, but i can easily pass them up.

21. What do you want for Christmas? It's always hard for me to tell people what I want for Christmas - or birthday - or anything. I really have everything I want. This year I did ask for a "Web-cam" since Hilary is moving, and we got her one, too.

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? At work we usually go to lunch at JB's for an office Christmas party. We sometimes go to a Sunday School party, however, since I started teaching, we haven't gone to the Adult 5 party every year. We always plan to then there seems to be some reason we can't.

23. Do you dress up on Christmas or wear PJs? PJs first, then get dressed (but not really dressed up) to go to families.

24. Do you own a Santa hat? Yes, and reindeer antlers, and snowflakes and an elf hat.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? The girls. And the past several years we have gone to Hubbard's at Mooreland for breakfast on Christmas morning.

I tag Dawn and Les, even though it is now after Christmas.