Ashamed...

A gentle cool breeze captured my flag this morning. Lightly waving in the early morning shadows it silently whispered to the world its greatness. The undulating flag caught my eye and made me think of all the history and the lives that it represents. It is a representative, a beacon if you will, of a heritage like no other anywhere on this earth.

The tragedy continues in the South. As New Orleans begins to dissolve into an archeological ruin, many of its citizens regress to an abhorrent behavior. I am ashamed of the acts of the people who are looting the city and the surrounding areas. These people need something constructive to do like rowing boats for the rescue workers, or maybe work in a soup kitchen and help feed a few thousand people.

As the television video continues to stream in visually reporting the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the more horrific are the stories of plunder and human immorality. The blatant disrespect for their fellow man, to the point of shooting an officer, over flood drenched loot; the pictures of these reprobates’ actions should be shocking to all of us.

There are many young, old and otherwise helpless individuals who are in desperate need of aid; all the while their “neighbors” are looting more than just the belongings of others. The thieves are robbing themselves and their fellow Southerners of their human dignity and respect. They are living proof of a great loss of the morality, neighborliness and hospitality that historically the South has been known for. The looters are a canker to the South and a shameful representation of America in general. These acts make me feel embarrassed and sick as the whole world watches how we as citizens respond to our own crises. We don’t look better than any average terrorist in Baghdad.

Will Katrina change any of us and how we view our world, our society, or our moral foundations? Will Katrina alter how we respond to irresponsible behavior? I would certainly hope so, but I fear that most will not be affected by these visages and therefore will not modify any of their thoughtless habits or attitudes. Why do I say that? Because Americans have made icons, idols, and millionaires out of liars, cheaters, and thieves; case in point, Martha Stewart. How many people are going to boycott anything that Ms. Stewart places before the public since her ‘release’? Experts, financiers, and investors alike are banking on cashing in on her newfound notoriety. Even she is. The sad thing is that she isn’t the first person to profit from a similar situation here in the great U.S. of A.

One can only hope that Hurricane Katrina will have a beneficial affect on society in the long run. As many people still shudder at hearing the spoken names of Camille and Betsy, we can only expect that “Katrina” will perhaps bring a similar response, but hopefully in a more positive manner. Will Katrina help us stop supporting the immoralities of our society with our valuable resources such as our time and our money? When Americans quit subsidizing the morally wrong things, then maybe the morally right things will become more second nature to us… again.

later…

Mosquitoes...

I was thinking today about all that flood water in the south from Hurricane Katrina. Then I started thinking about the spread of disease, the insects, and the whole “unclean” mess that the hurricane has caused. I then turned my thoughts to here at home and how I had discovered a small pool of water from our recent rains in the base of the basketball goal. In that small puddle of water were mosquito larvae. The drain hole had been closed off, just enough, by a leaf and had created a small nursery out of the rain water for the nasty varmints. Making routine inspections of our yards and driveways and removing standing water can help minimize the mosquito population in our neighborhoods. Check your plants too. There are certain types of plants in our flower beds and pots that have leaves and stems that can hold enough water for a brood of wigglers to grow up to adulthood.

Mosquitoes carry multiple diseases. These diseases affect man and animal alike and many of them are zoonotic. In other words, humans and animals can catch the same disease. There are multiple encephalitis infections that mosquitoes carry and transmit here in the United States. Most people only think of the West Nile Virus though. I guess it’s because of the publicity that it has received.

The problems we see most commonly from mosquito populations are heartworm infections in pets. Heartworm infections can affect both the household dog and the cat. And yes, heartworms really do grow and mature inside the heart of the animal. This devastating disease can be prevented by medications that are given on a monthly basis. In this day and age, it is really sad to see a dog that has heartworm disease. What’s even worse is to see a ‘young’ dog that is dying from heartworm disease.
There are some people that don’t feel that they need to give heartworm prevention medication to their pets because they say, “My pet never goes outside.” Thinking that only outdoor pets can get heartworm infestations is an incorrect assumption on the owner’s part. Just last week I found myself trying to chase down a mosquito that had gotten into the house.

Katrina most certainly has left a horrible mess behind and some of the problems will only worsen over the next several weeks. When Hurricane Andrew came through government agencies went into action and implemented a program to kill mosquitoes. I am glad the disease control guys are on the job. I am sure that they will find plenty to do after this most recent disaster.

later…

Hurricane Katrina...

As I look at the satellite imagery from the NOAA(National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) web page I am in awe of the massive magnitude of Katrina. As I continue to look at the satellite loops I then think of the impact this storm will have on human life. One only needs to know a little bit about New Orleans, and where this city is located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, to understand that everything, I mean everything, will be underwater. This is a storm that will bring catastrophic disaster upon this city and the surrounding areas.

There have been people holding their breath, stating that they were “overdue” for a major hurricane strike in New Orleans. A USA Today article, written in July of 2000, proves that the planning stage of preparing for a major oceanic strike was essentially wrapped up in commentary only. I do not know if any of the ideas have started to be implemented or not. In either case, the article stated that it would take ten years to build a system that would protect New Orleans from a major hurricane. This is only 2005. There was an estimation that the New Orleans metro areas could be underwater for ten weeks. Who knows how long it will take to get the cemeteries and the water supply back in order again. New Orleans may never be the same again.

So… all anyone is left with at this time is prayer. …and pray we will.

later…

Attention: All Single-Moms...

How many of you know a single-mom? How many of you “are” single-moms? Well, here’s something to help single-moms out! Precision Tune Auto Care is giving away free oil changes to single-moms for one year. Yep… you heard me right. It is a new program that they’ve started and they are doing it through the local churches. It is called Mommy Care. They are also sponsoring a help line for those moms who don’t know a thing about car care. Isn’t that great?

How did I hear about this great new program? Through my favorite radio station K-Love. Their special button, with link, is in the sidebar here on my blog. Thanks goes to them for helping to get the word out.

You can read all about it on the link below or just click on the title of this post. You can also e-mail this post right here from my blog. Use the little envelope icon. Share it with your friends, neighbors and your church. Hey… I’m a single-mom too!

Precision Tune Mommy Care Program

Sue's Story...

My neighbor Sue sent me a bunch of pictures today. She also wrote up a little story to go with them. You see, not only is Sue my neighbor, but she is also a great grandma.

Sue’s ‘kids’ love going over to her house every chance they can. My kids included! Stephanie is her granddaughter, and Stephanie, Carrie, and Parker have a tree house at Sue’s. It is a project that they have been “improving on” over the last several years. The kids have obtained many donated items to build and furnish it with and prefer to call their tree house a “Fort”.

The kids are growing up; creating numerous memories of their time together across the street. It’s the little things that they do that they’ll remember for a lifetime. It’s a simpler time of life where it doesn’t take much to bring excitement and joy into their very beings. Things like walking to the neighborhood store for bubble gum and candy, jumping on the trampoline, climbing the trees, and eating Sue’s cookies. Time spent with friends sitting in a tree house and talking for hours on end, talking about kid stuff. These are good things. The way things are supposed to be.

So I’ll finish telling Sue’s Story in her words and with her pictures. It’s a good story. It’s a blessing.

later…
"Kids, Aren’t They Wonderful?"

“They watch the activity below and don’t have a care in the world because they feel they have conquered it… just by climbing a tree.”

“It’s even better if they have a rope tied to a limb nearby to swing out on. What fun they can have.”



“Yes, kids are wonderful. The world would certainly be dull and our lives would be empty without them.”

“Big kids and little kids, alike, love to swing from a rope.”


“Dedicated to all kids everywhere, but especially to Parker and Carrie, Stephanie, Camden, and Valerie and Cindy… big and little kids.”

”Sue.”

Thursday, August 25, 2005...

Chalk art never goes out of style. No matter how old you are, it is still a lot of fun. Stephanie came over yesterday afternoon. It was probably one of the most miserable days of the year to be outside. I know… I mowed and edged the yard. 61% humidity at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. You’d think we were in Houston. *whew*.

Stephanie and Carrie made some really pretty pictures on the driveway. They will be nice to look at until our next rain.




We had basketball practice this afternoon. The boys are really working hard.

The girls’ volleyball team had their first scrimmage tonight. They had a good time and it was fun to watch.

I didn’t get any of my schoolwork done tonight. Why? Hmmm… let’s see:


• 255pm – leave work to go to kids’ school
• 305pm – pick up boys team and Carrie from school, drive to practice and coach ball practice
• 440pm – go to house for Carrie to change into uniform
• 5pm – drive towards Norman for the volleyball scrimmage
• 525pm – realize someone gave me the wrong directions to the scrimmage and change directions
• 550pm – sit in traffic on I-35 in the construction zone
• 8pm – drop off Carrie’s teammate at her home
• 820pm – go to garden just before dark to pick vegetables
• 835pm – microwave and eat leftovers for dinner
• check e-mail while eating and download/edit/e-mail pictures from camera
• 936pm – talk to Linda in Norman on the phone while working on blog
• 10pm – have difficulty getting these _____ pictures to post
• 1038pm – post blog

Of course, most of these are estimated times, but they’re really pretty close. Yes… we were late for the scrimmage.

I’m out of time and I need to get to bed.

later…

Dear Mr. Palestinian Bomber...

There's this news story about a credit card mailing to a guy. It was delivered to his home address and the name listed on it was Palestinian Bomber. So this guy calls up the credit card company and gives them the code number and stuff and the service reps (yes, he called more than one time) addressed him as "Mr. Palestinian Bomber".

I just don't see how I could do it if I were the customer service rep on the other end of the line. You know... call someone Mr. Palestinian Bomber? I would think that I would have to say something like, "Excuse me sir, could I verify the name that I have with you?" Surely it crossed one of those people's mind that this could be a joke or something. I would even be looking behind my back thinking that this might even be some sort of a Candid Camera setup. What are people thinking? Or are they thinking?

Either way, it makes you wonder who's watching this guy. You know, he really is Palestinian. The credit card company says that they bought his name and address off of a vendor. Who put it on the list?

later...

Link

Okay... Now I've Had It!

Thank goodness for the cute, little, red, battery-operated alarm clock that Kiana gave me. I use two alarm clocks because I am partially deaf. Amazingly enough I heard the alarm clock this morning and I woke up to darkness. Yep…you guessed it. No POWER this morning.

Boy was I *hot*! And it wasn’t due to the lack of air conditioning. My mood didn’t improve either because of the non-existence of my “morning coffee”. So, I call OG&E.

The guy answers, “OG&E Customer Service. May I help you?”

I state flatly, “My power is out. This is becoming a habit.”

Once again, I tell him about the tree limbs, the wind, how the two don’t mix, yada, yada, yada. Anyway, he says he will put it all in my report just like the last three people told me.

Today is my day off and I have a lot of *stuff* to do ON THE COMPUTER. Once again, I don’t feel that I have to explain the concept of no electricity = no computer.

Did I tell you? I go to school too, and this is my first week of the fall semester. I already have *assignments* out the “wazoo”, not counting the ultrasound class that I have to get pulled together. So this morning, I sit in my plastic lawn chair, balancing my pad of paper and book, and begin to write. I had almost a 1/3 of my homework completed “by hand” before the lights came back on. I then had to take it to my computer and type it up.

Meanwhile… a tree trimming crew showed up. I saw them trim trees behind me and my neighbor’s house but I didn’t see them trim any trees down the way. You know, where we SEE THE SPARKS FLYING! I am glad that he trimmed the limbs from my neighbor’s tree off the lines, but I am afraid that this may not solve my problem. I mentioned it to the guy, you know, about the limbs down the way. I don’t know if he has to work strictly off of a work order or what. Either way…OG&E’s number is in my cell phone now.

Today is ending up to be a good day in spite of the way it started out. I volunteer at my kids’ school and today was the boys’ first day of practice. I coach the boys’ basketball team and the track team. Carrie had her first day of volleyball practice too. Anyway, after all of the practicing was done we got home and I was able to finish up my classroom assignment. I have a big day planned tomorrow too. I have to mow the yard even if it is in the rain.




By the way, I am having some neat mushrooms come up in my yard now. The little white one has gills on the top and the bottom. The brown one looks like a hat and is really quite pretty.

I want to tell Okiedoke *thanks* for watching out for me. I gave up thinking about eating mushrooms out of my yard after doing some research on trying to identify these little buggers two years ago. I have found about 7 or 8 different varieties in my backyard alone and new ones are still popping up. During my research I ran across the highly poisonous Death Angel mushroom and thought, “Do I feel lucky?”

…not the way this week has started out I don’t.

later…

Don't Eat Your Seed...

Well, the tomatoes have about played out. The okra is still going strong though and it doesn’t look like it is going to slow down too soon. The okra is tall and this rain is sure making it grow taller. Carrie is standing in the middle of the okra and she is 5’4”. Oh yeah, and for those of you who are jalapeno lovers: that plant is going strong and producing just as many jalapenos as ever!

Sue was able to get the zucchini seed put out and it looks like it is ‘very happy’. Soon we will have zucchini squash to eat! Sue had also planted some cucumber several weeks ago. She is going to have a LOT of cucumbers soon!

I have left some pods on the okra plants to mature. It will be our seed for next year. A good thing about okra is that once you’ve committed to letting it go to seed you can’t eat it. Otherwise, one could be tempted to eat their next year’s crop!

I got a phone call from one of my foster kids last night. She is grown-up now and has kids. She was telling me about her latest addition. She had a little boy and she sounded like she was very happy. I am so glad to hear that.

She also shared some news about another one of my foster children. It was sad news. It seems that one of ‘my kids’ is in prison serving time because of drugs. This kid had always kept in touch. She would either stop by to visit or call, but I hadn’t heard from her in about two years. I had wondered if something bad had happened. I am not one to put much weight in hearsay so I looked it up. Sure enough, her mug shot is there along with the charges and prison sentence.

I have planted all kinds of seeds in my life. I have watered them, nurtured them, and watched my little plants grow. Sometimes the weather beats them down. Sometimes it is too dry and the plants struggle. Frequently weeds get in the way and threaten to choke out my tiny seedlings. There are times when I get blisters on my hands and my body gets sore and tired from uprooting the unwanted pests. One thing is for sure though, I never give up. I always keep trying to encourage and foster that little plant into becoming what it was meant to be.

I’m going to write ‘my kid’ a letter tonight. I will send it with a card because her birthday has just past. She is 25 years old now. I am going to water that seed that I planted so many years ago.

later…

Mysterious Mushroom...

The power went out early yesterday evening. I don’t know when it was restored as it was still off when I went to bed. So… consequently I didn’t post. No power = no computer.

Yesterday was the third time I have been without power in the last two weeks. I know what the problem is too. There’s a tree limb crossing the power lines a few houses down from me. When a gust front comes through from these storms it makes loud popping noises, like firecrackers, then ‘poof’. The power is off for hours.

I think it would be smart to cut the tree limbs off the lines. At least it would save the company some money. If it saves the company money then maybe in return it would save me some money on my utility bill. It’s a lot cheaper to cut the tree limbs than it is to send crews out, after hours and on week-ends, to fix the problem. However, far be it for me to tell OG&E how to run their business. I only have common sense to share and that isn’t how corporations are usually run.


Now, let’s get to yesterday’s belated post.

Well, I found this GIANT mushroom at Sue’s by the garden spot. So far, I have been unable to identify it on the web. It doesn’t have any gills and it is just gigantic. I have never seen a mushroom this large in my whole life! I didn’t get home from work today until just before dark, so I didn’t get over there to check and see if it was still there… or maybe even BIGGER?!! *yikes*
I have rather large hands (about the size of an average man’s hand) and I was hoping to give you an idea of how large this thing is.
Does anyone know what kind of ‘shroom this thing is?


*sigh*

I think I heard some thunder. I had better shut it down now before the power goes off again.

later…

My Favorite Color...

Green is my favorite color. Green is a soothing and natural color and goes well with a lot of things. Other people like the color green and use it in their names. Names like Bowling Green State University and Green Bay use the color green. A lot of organizations use the color green to denote a friendly connotation towards nature. Some organizations are easily recognized like Greenpeace; others, such as Echoing Green, are not.

There are other green verbiages like a “green salad” and a “green horse”. Of course, there’s also “green with envy”. Sometimes the word green doesn’t give us a good feeling. I prefer to think of the song, "The Green, Green Grass of Home" myself. Overall though, I think that green is a very acceptable and pleasing color and word for most folks.



The color green goes with so many other colors. Green compliments and accompanies many things in various settings and can make for striking contrasts.



When most people think of green and red it reminds them of Christmas. Green at Christmas time usually makes people feel happy and generous. I have found that green and red go well together at other times too.




However, too much green used with this color of orange is not good and makes me feel bad.




This is probably one of my most favorite shades of green. My teenagers like this color too.

later…

Excitement at NVH...

Exciting events are happening at Neel Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Tina Neel has been invited to speak at the 2006 AVMA meeting in Hawaii! She has already spoken at several veterinary associations in Texas as well as here in Oklahoma. Congratulations!

On September 18, 2005, NVH will be hosting a veterinary ultrasound training class! Partnering with Classic Medical Supply, I will be teaching practical hands on techniques and sharing my expertise and knowledge within the field of veterinary ultrasound. I am looking forward to helping veterinarians turn their investment into an opportunity for them and their patients.

Educating the members of the veterinary profession is something that Dr. Neel and I believe in. We feel that the time has come for a major change in veterinary medicine. A paradigm shift is in the making! Things are happening at Neel Veterinary Hospital and I am glad to be a part of it.

later!!

Tonight's Church Service...

We had quite the surprise at church this evening. Lashell Griffin, the winner of Oprah Winfrey’s Pop Star Challenge was there. The church was packed and many people had to sit in our old auditorium to watch and listen via closed circuit TV.

I have to say, Lashell is a wonderful singer with a strong voice who also possesses a gifted talent. Her husband Lee was there with her also and they both sang the last song together.

Lashell’s husband is the music leader at their church and Lashell sings with him during their worship services. They have been working together in this ministry for 18 years.

Anyway, it was just awesome tonight. Absolutely awesome.

An Evening at Bricktown...

What a treat! We have just returned home from a night on the town down at Bricktown.


Jim, our Bayer Representative, treated us to a Mexican food feast at Chelino’s.



There was plenty of exotic food!





We were then provided with plush seats at the ballpark so we could watch the Redhawks play baseball.


Cotton candy was passed around…


…home runs were abundant.




Everyone had a great time!







One big plus that came from the evening was that Dr. Jeff has finally decided to embrace avian medicine whole-heartedly, 100%.



Too soon, it was time to go home.

Jim, and the Bayer Corporation, has been so kind to Neel Veterinary Hospital’s staff and has always treated us very well. Thank you so much!

Industrious...

I was thinking this evening (yes… I do that on occasion) that I have industrious friends. Then I got to thinking, was that a correct statement? So I looked up the word on the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Gone are the days for me to crack a desk dictionary! Anyway, I found that I was correct in assuming that the word industrious is an adjective. *whew* The synonym listed was the word ‘busy’. These words were also used to define the word industrious: skillful, ingenious, persistently active, and zealous. Industrious is also described as constantly, regularly, or habitually occupied: diligent.

It seems that all of my friends can be described this way. No matter what their occupation or stage in their life. They aren’t just busy doing stuff; they are busy doing and making creative things.

Sue e-mailed me a picture of one of her projects. She crocheted this bag from plastic bags. Bags from Dollar General, Target, Wal-Mart, you know… plastic bags you bring your stuff home in from the store. The bag in the picture was made from Dollar General bags. Isn’t that neat? This is recycling to the max!

later…

By Design...

It never ceases to amaze me about the symmetry and design of this world that we live in. Naturally occurring geometric and patterned shapes are abundant. At the top of the rocks at Robbers Cave the solid stone is deeply etched. Looking like well placed cobblestones is this natural wonder of design and simple beauty.






This tree root is worn and reveals its interior patterns. The swirling circles seem to compliment the conical shape of the nearby ant lion's home.




The abundant pines have their own fingerprints too. The bark of these trees have an intriguing pattern. If you look at it long enough it makes you think you are looking at the scales of a snake.





A linear pattern of the oak bark gives this lizard a feeling of security.




Why do we ever wonder why humans like to have things placed in order and in perfect symmetry? Could it be by Design?

later…