Graduation

Congratulations, Kayla Pollard, valedictorian at Jones High School. Well done.

Chapters

The End of the Season, Maybe the End of a Chapter in his Life.

My Great Niece, Kayla

Kayla is graduating in less than three weeks and has signed to play softball at Okla. Panhandle State University. I am excited for her. She also received a Presidential scholarship and made A's all thru school. Her mom and dad, Jamie and Daryl are also pictured.

My Irises

These were all started from my Mother-in-law's flowers.

More Azaleas

My Azaleas

Fourteen Years

Today it has been 14 years since my brother-in-law, Steve Curry, was killed by a couple of gutless cowards. One is dead. The other should be. In those fourteen years, his father has died, his children have graduated from high school, gotten married, and had children, and in December, his mother died. He didn't get to see his kids march across the stage and get their diplomas either from high school or the University of Oklahoma. He didn't get to walk his daughter down the aisle, or stand up with his son at their marriages. He didn't get to know the joy of holding his first, second, or third grandchild. He also wasn't there for his wife when her father was tragically killed in a car wreck. My brother also died way before his time and left two young sons and a beautiful wife to go through life without him. His death was from disease and not from terrorism. But his family has had to endure the same hardships of being without him. I miss them both.

Happy Birthday to my fav nephew!

Hope you have an incredibly awesome day.

Happy Birthday to my great niece, KIM, also who is in the bahamas.

Thunder in the News

This is a picture of Clay and Chuck's basketball team that was in the newspaper this week.

A Day in the Life of a wife of a retiree

I got up, read the paper, ate breakfast, washed, dried and put away four loads of laundry, cut off and hemmed a prom dress for a great neice, hemmed and sewed a button on for another great neice, babysat the twins and baby Grant, changed a butt 3 times, fed him twice, washed peed on panties, fed the dogs, went to Walgreens and picked up medicine, went to Walmart and picked up medicine and groceries, came home and put it all away and ate supper. Grant fixed breakfast and held down the recliner the rest of the day. He did ride along on the shopping trips. What a life!

Update

Well, ever since I wrote the blog about him, the coach seems to have backed off a little. He is still yelling but that part doesn't bother me. It is the things he says to belittle them and humiliate them. That seems better the last few games. Maybe prayer is helping. Tyler even got his name in the Midwest City paper this week (mwcsun.com). Just wish he had given Tyler the same opportunities as a freshman, or even as a junior, that he is giving to this year's freshmen. He got to pitch three innings Friday and only gave up two hits. Not bad for no more practice than he has had. Of course, if he had any male parenting role models, they might be around to help him with that. Grant used to catch for him, but now he throws too hard, even with a cather's mitt on. Hope everyone has a good Easter. I have to get busy and start on dinner for the clan. (The newspaper article isn't on the web site yet.)

Hopelessness

For once in my life I am absolutely at a loss of how I am supposed to react or get through the next month. To some this will seem totally trivial. But it's not to me. Tyler has been playing baseball since he was 6 years old. He is a gifted athlete. He is not perfect and never will be. But he is a good,solid athlete. Nearly every coach he has had thought the world of him and bragged on how easy he is to coach. He is respectful and listens and when he is told of a mistake, he corrects it and seldom ever makes the same mistake again. He always gives 100 percent. He is competitive and hates losing. And when he does make a mistake, no one is harder on him than he is.

He has been playing at Jones for four years. The last three has been under Coach Lowe. I always thought he had a good relationship with the coach and I admired the way Coach Lowe would pull the boys aside to talk to them about a mistake. He never yelled at them or embarrassed them by dressing them down in front of the crowd or other players. But all that has changed.

He has a son who is now on the team as a freshman. He is a good athlete as are several of his teammates. I don't have a problem with his son playing every inning of every game. Nor do I have a problem with freshmen playing who are better than the upper classmen. However, there are several sophomores, juniors, and two seniors on the team that have put in their time, waiting to move to varsity when it was their turn. Jones has graduated seven seniors the last two years from the team, so there were very few positions that the under classmen were allowed to play. This is the first year they have expected to play varsity positions. Tyler was a very promising pitcher in the eighth grade, but has not been allowed to improve by playing at this position more than on a minimal basis.

Now that the coach's sons team has arrived, he has become a different man. He yells and screams and demeans the kids constantly. Not the freshmen, just the older boys. He is trying to justify sitting them on the bench and letting the younger ones take over the varsity team. The older players are making mistakes they wouldn't normally make because they feel as if they are playing with a target on their back. Tyler will probably not play after this year. He will give up his last chance to play baseball because he is miserable. He is tired of being embarrassed by all the yelling and screaming. And it is not just him. Most of the older players are being treated the same way. And what hurts is that there is not a thing that can be done about it. Most coaches have such inflated egos that they don't accept any kind of criticism. I just never thought that this man was like this. Guess I am not a good judge of character. But what hurts me the most is that Tyler is hurting. This man is changing who my grandson is forever.

I am sure the coach is doing what he thinks is best. His record is now 7-10, Most of the losses coming after he started riding the players.

Makes sense to me!

Got this in an email this morning.

Letter to the President:

Patriotic retirement:

There are about 40 million people over 50 years old in the work force - pay
them $1 million apiece severance with stipulations.

1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They either buy a house/pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

4) They buy stock. Voila! The stock market rebounds with no help from the Feds.

New fiesta color

This is coming out this summer. Can't decide if I like it or not but I am sure I will have to have some of it. My poor cabinets.

My new ride

Well, it's not brand new. I guess they call them preowned. It's a 2005 with 38,000 miles and loaded, everything but GPS. I usually know where I am going anyway. I love it but I am a little nervouse driving it. No one ever hit my beat up, hail damaged camry, so I am sure they are taking aim at my shiny new red car.

More Basketball

Dancing with the Stars

Just watched Monday's show on the internet. It looks to be an interesting season. I wasn't too excited when I first heard the names of the stars but it is getting better. Shawn Johnson is really good and so is Melissa Rycroft (Bachelor's dumpee). I would love to see her win. Julianna's boyfriend is pretty good and so is the dude that was on sex and the city. I also caught up on Desperate Housewives. Wonder if Edie is going to get killed off since she is leaving the show! Her husband gives me the creeps. Now I just have to figure out how to watch ABC and NBC at 9 tomorrow night.

The Bachelor

I love the way Melissa told him off. What a jerk! Hope Molly gives him the hell he deserves!

Basketball tournaments

We spent last week watching five of our grandkids playing basketball. It is post season tournament time for the little ones and the high schools are in the playoffs. Tyler won Thursday and Friday but lost to Kingfisher on Saturday. I was surprised they made it that far, but glad they did. Baseball season started Monday, so he is already geared up for that. Keipher is still playing. They play Muskogee Friday night and it should be a tough game for them to win. They are in the area playoffs. CJ took second in his tournament as did Gracie. Clay's team took first. Chuck is their coach and had promised them they could shave his head if they won. So Sunday afternoon at the post season party, they shaved his head. It was a little ragged so it had to be touched up later. I am so proud of all my kids, but I am especially proud of the way Chuck coaches these kids. He teaches fundamentals. They don't just run up and down the court and shoot the ball. They have learned to pass, run plays, shoot correctly, not be selfish with the ball, and most of all, they have been taught that there is no disgrace in losing. He doesn't yell and scream at them. He squats down to their level and talks to them with respect. He doesn't coach for his own ego. He coaches to teach and I love that about him. And there is not a single player on his team that he doesn't love. He gets that from his Dad.

Twins and the Bachelor

My beautiful girls were here yesterday. They are loving the nice weather and play outside a lot. Brooke is becoming a basketball player and chuck is thrilled. She played on the little goal over an hour yesterday which is a lot for a three year old. Breanna was enjoying nature and occasionally kicking a basketball like she was playing soccer. That is all chuck and kelly need is for them to play two different sports. Bre was busy watching the crows build a nest in our pine tree. She was asking a lot of questions and I was trying to explain to her that they were building a place for their babies to have a bed. She said "Oh, they are having a sleepover!" And that was that.

Who is the bachelor going to choose, Melissa, Molly, or Deonna? I am pulling for Melissa. They seem great together. I don't understand his attraction for Molly at all. And as for Deonna, she has already dumped him once. Why would he give her a second chance? I am sure whoever loses will go off blubbering into the night. I am not sure what possesses girls to participate in this but makes for good reality TV. I really respect Melissa's parents for refusing to be on TV. Sometimes they can make you look like idiots by the time they get through editing. I don't think I would have had the nerve to make out in front of a camera, even now! Monday night will hold the answers.

American Idol

I don't get to see this much because I have been at basketball games every Tuesday for the last three months. But I do try to watch on Wednesdays when I can. It is now 8:15 and I was beginning to think this was the amateur hour. The first three were absolutely awful. One was a comedian and not a very good one at that. How he made it to this stage, I don't know. The next two were good. Allison, 16, with the bright red hair, looks like a clown but has a great voice. I would not be surprised to see her go all the way. Kris was pretty good, but don't think he will go that far. The next was Meghan with the tatooed sleeve down her arm. What a turn off. She is beautiful and reminds me of my great niece, Kim only Kim has dark hair. But something about her voice and mannerisms don't set well with me. The judges liked her but not me. I guess we will see. I missed the next guy because Darla called about some tax crap that she had questions about. I just heard Jesse. She was ok but nothing special. She may make it to the next round. She seems to have a good personality and good looks. Simon really hits the nail on the head most of the time. He said she was forgettable. (I didn't know that word had two t's till the spell check jumped on it.) Kai Kalama is singing now. I love the song. He has a great voice. But if he expects to win this thing he needs to find a hair stylist and a barber to shape up his facial hair. He looks like he has been homeless most of his life. He loves his Mom so that always earns points with me. Simon ripped him really bad. These judges crack me up. They tell one person to take chances and make the song their own, then they tell the next guy not to screw up a song that was perfect to begin with by "making it their own." And HELLO, there is nothing wrong with singing old songs. On to Mishavonna. What a name! Glad I didn't have to put that on standardized tests in school. She has a really good voice and she definitely has the looks to make it. The judges were tough on her but I think she could do well. I do think she would be better in the country venue. The next guy looks like a Jonas Brother wannabe. Maybe he is the bastard child of a mistress to Mr. Jonas. He just sang a Rolling Stones (ugh) song. He is much better looking than Mick Jagger but who isn't. He will probably move on but I don't think he will make it to the end. Talk about pitchy! Paula has the hots for him. He does have good stage presence and his looks are what teenagers flip over. Amber hates that I criticize people's singing. Just can't help myself.

Spring has arrived!

I was out in the yard today and noticed a few signs of spring. Thought I would share them. I am so ready to see beautiful trees and flowers everywhere.

Spring cleaning

I have begun my spring cleaning which may get done this spring and may not. I have started by washing all my fiesta dishes that I have sitting on top of my cabinets. They are covered with a layer of grease and dust that almost needs dynamite to get it off. Thankfully, I found a bottle of super duper degreaser under the cabinet. Made a huge difference. I didn't say my "annual" spring cleaning because I am not sure what year I did it last. As I was cleaning it, I recalled a lot of long forgotten memories. I remember being a little embarrassed as a child that we ate off these multi color dishes. Nothing matched! Everyone else had dishes that matched. And I absolutely hated the yellow ones. I would switch plates around on the table so I wouldn't have to eat off the yellow plate.
As I was washing them today I was amazed at their size. We ate off a 9" dinner plate, ate breakfast off a 7" plate, and had cereal in a 5 1/2" bowl. They almost look like toy dishes compared to the fiesta today. The dinner plates of the contemporary fiesta are more like 10 1/2" and the breakfast plates are 9". The cereal bowls must be close to 7" . No wonder we are fat!
I now have them proudly displayed all over my kitchen and some in the living room. I don't know why I love them but I do. And the more colors they make, the more I buy. I love all pretty dishes and have quite a few salad plates of different designs that I have found irresistible. There have now been 39 colors produced if you count the ironstone that was made in the 60's. The last three colors out I only purchased the everyday pieces I use, dinner plate, breakfast plate, bowl, rimmed bowl. But then I also buy the salt and pepper, mini disk pitcher, trivet, and tumbler. I used to buy the fiesta with holiday decals, but gave that up a while back. My cabinets were about to fall from the wall. I have no more room for fiesta. But, alas, they are coming out with another color, lemongrass, and I am sure I will find a place for just a few more pieces. Either that or maybe Grant will build a room on for my fiesta. I can always dream.

Credit Card

This is my blog for today. I thought I used considerable restraint in my language by not using the word screw and piss poor. I have several more in mind but I will use a little self control (what little I have).

Capital One Bank
Dear Sirs,

Imagine my surprise when I opened my mail yesterday and found that you were raising my interest rate on your credit card. I have always paid on time or early, always paid more than the minimum payment and have never defaulted on any loan in my 62 years. I am not late with any payments, credit, mortgage, or utilities. In fact, I owe nothing to anyone except you. I chose your card because you had a reasonable interest rate. It is the only one I carry or use. However, as soon as it is paid off, I will discontinue using it also, unless I have an extreme emergency.

It is my understanding that the survival of this economic situation is dependent on getting consumers to spend more money on products and to use credit to do so. It seems by raising your interest rate, you are encouraging people to stop buying and stop using your credit card. This seems like another typical decision made by CEO’s, along with their decisions to loan money to people who can’t afford to repay, and to give themselves bonuses when they have repeatedly demonstrated bad management skills.

I will assume therefore that you are not doing this to help the American economy, but to line your own pockets. Please don’t use the current economic crisis as an excuse to bilk your loyal customers. It doesn’t fly. And please don’t show up in Washington, D.C., asking for a bailout when your credit business goes in the tank. By raising the interest rates on your good customers, you will be left with only the bad ones who can’t live without credit and have no intention of ever paying their bill.

Sincerely,

Another dance picture

Sweetheart dance

Amber went to her Sweetheart dance at the middle school last night. Thirteen sure is older than it used to be. Wish she could always stay this innocent and happy.

Surviving childhood in the 50"s

I didn't write this but I love reading it. Brings back great memories. I may have eaten dirt, but never worms.

THOSE BORN 1920-1979

READ TO THE BOTTOM FOR QUOTE OF THE MONTH BY JAY LENO. IF YOU DON'T READ ANYTHING ELSE---VERY WELL STATED

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no child proof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.And we were OK.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ridedown the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all,no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chatrooms.......

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good .

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

'With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding,severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another,and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

Jury Duty

I went for jury duty Monday. I was dreading it but Grant took me downtown so I didn't have to fight the parking nightmare. I arrived about 7:45 which is way before I normally get my butt out of bed. I worried about what to wear which is stupid because some people show up looking like bums off the street. I met a nice lady and we visited with each other till we were finally called out on about the sixth jury selection. We were shown to the courtroom and greeted by the presiding Judge. She was very nice as I am sure she wants to keep her job. I was selected to sit in the jury box and be questioned. The case was about a dog biting someone so we were asked if we had dogs, had we ever been bitten, etc. I have been bitten three times and all three times without me maliciously provoking the dog. However, all three dogs for some reason, felt threatened by me or they wouldn't have decided to see how I tasted. After everyone was questioned, I made the final jury selection. This was a civil case and the prosecutor had the nerve to ask me if I understood the difference in a civil case and a criminal case. ME? The person that grew up watching Perry Mason and that has read every John Grisham book and even seen the movies. I have watched numerous Law and Order episodes, Boston Legal, Allie McBeal, and whatever that other one was that preceded Boston Legal with Camryn Manheim. I wanted to jump on his face and tell him I probably had a higher IQ than he had dreamed of having. Any way, here is how the case went.

The person that sued said he had been homeless in Florida, due to the hurricanes (?), and had come to Bethany to live with his brother and roommate. He had been there one month and had found a job. They had three rat terriers and they were all friendly animals. Sammy, the one that bit him, even slept with him at night. Sammy, by the way, was 11 years old and blind. We will call this guy Joe because I don't even remember his name. He appeared clean and neat but had a hollow gauntness about him, very skinny. He supposedly had been on the computer taking a Florida driving test online to get his drivers license renewed. He then laid down in the floor by Sammy and was petting him when he viciously bit him on the face. He jumped up and the dog was still attached to his face. He cleaned the wound after getting the dog off and then went to bed and to work the next morning. That afternoon after work, he went to VA hospital because his face was red and swollen. The bite was infected and he was admitted, kept for five days, and had a hospital bill of 24,000 dollars. He wanted money from the defendents to pay this bill plus money for his pain and suffering. That pretty much sums up the prosecutors case. They submitted the hospital bill as evidence.

Then it was time for the defense to present their case. The defendents were Joe's brother, Chris, and his roommate, David. First they announce that Chris didn't show up for the trial today, but they were going to present his testimony from his deposition. Chris and David's testimony was consistent. Chris had said that his brother was homeless becasue he was living with their mother in Florida. She died and they had to sell the house. This left Joe homeless so Chris and David bought Joe a plane ticket to Oklahoma city so he could stay with them till he got a job and a place to live. He found a job and about a month after he moved in he was bitten by the dog. However, he was playing rough with the dog, batting his head back and forth with his hands. He was one the floor facing the dog when it lunged at his face and bit him. He jumped up and the dog let go immediately. They were laughing about it because the dog had a woody (erection) and they thought it was funny. Joe wasn't amused. David helped him clean the wound. They then testified that Joe waited about four or five days before seeking medical attention and went to the VA Hospital. A few weeks later he started having gall bladder problems and was admitted to St. Anthony Hospital for gall bladder surgery.While in the hospital, he decided to call Animal Welfare and report being bitten. He then told David that he was going to sue, and if David would go along with his testimony, he would split the money with him. This was basically the end of the testimony. We were instructed to go to the jury room and all we had to decide was whether the dog was provoked. The burden of proof was on the prosecution to prove that the dog was NOT provoked. If we sided with the prosecution, then we had to come up with an amount that Joe should receive for his bills and suffering.

First of all, I think this whole case should have been thrown out for lack of evidence. Second of all, it is a sad day when one brother sues another brother over a freaking dog bite. Normally, I would have said, if you own a dog, you are liable for what that dog does. However, what we discovered in the jury room was a whole other ballgame. The hospital bill included not only treatment for a dog bite that maybe had infection but required no stitches (thus the dog did not hang from his face), but he was treated for chest pains, a rash, jaw pain from rotten teeth, had a stress test and numerous other symptoms including insomnia. It was also revealed that he suffers from hepatitis C. So he probably is or has been a druggie. The conclusion we came to is that he is a liar and a user. So we voted to deny the claim. He did not prove that he did not antagonize the dog. And we sure couldn't take his word for anything. Doesn't it make you proud that your tax dollars went to pay me and twelve other people to sit and listen to this garbage? But it was only $20 each, so it was nothing like the mega bonuses the liars in banks and on Wall Street get. Still a waste of your money and my time. I could have been making munchkin costumes. Woohoo.

Munchkins are clothed!

I finally finished the three munchkin dresses today and they all fit! I am so glad to be done with them. I still have to make the Coroners costume. Hopefully that won't take too long. At least I don't have to gather anything else. I am so sick of gathering sleeves, skirts, and petticoats. Tonight I am going to Tyler's game. They won last night. He had eight points and a bunch of rebounds, steals and assists. They actually won their second game and have a shot at winning tonight. They have a lot of talent but not much age or experience. I have high hopes for them but then I always do. I love watching Tyler play sports. He is not a superstar, but he is pretty good. Got to run.

Identities

I should have identified these people. The little one is Jamie Silver Pollard, then Gwen Webb Gillette, Elaine Silver, Me at my first wedding, Nancy Kelly, and Lana Rush Johnson.

My love of sewing

Some days I love it and other days I don't. Right now I am making munchkin costumes for a production of Wizard of Oz by the local high school. It seems that some days everything just goes together perfectly and other days just weren't meant to spend sewing. I spend more time ripping out than I do putting together. These dresses are complicated but not that difficult. But they require a petticoat with net underneath and I HATE sewing with net. I guess my biggest gripe is no one is learning to sew anymore. They don't teach it in Home Ec anymore at the high school level so very few people are learning. I can understand that in some ways. It is much cheaper to buy clothes at Wal Mart than it is to sew. Material is getting so expensive, and then there are buttons, zippers, and trim to buy. I used to make a lot of Halloween costumes but now you can buy them cheaper than you can make them. Granted the homemade ones are nicer and last longer, but how many times are they really worn and for how long? I have a lot of pride in the things I have made over the years. I have made dresses for my girls, my nieces, my great nieces, for friends. I even made little toddler boy clothes for my son and grandsons. I have made tons of curtains, a few formals, and an endless line of bridesmaid dresses. I have also made a ton of receiving blankets for relatives and friends. My nieces always brag on them and act like they can't wait till I make some for their next arrival. Then there is always the one or two people who act like they aren't good enough for their dog to sleep on, but I won't discuss that here. I have felt honored to have participated in making things for so many weddings and births. It makes me feel like a valuable member of my family and a way to connect to some of them that I haven't been close to before. I think a lot of the reason I sew is because of my mother. She was a wonderful seamstress and I spent many hours watching her sew. I think I feel close to her when I am sitting at my machine. Plus, I use the same machine she did. So in a way, it is like I am continuing and honoring her memory. She got this machine in 1954 in Okmulgee, OK. I think my dad got a bonus for moving to Oklahoma with Dowell and they were either going to buy a boat or a new sewing machine. My Dad would have given my Mother the moon if he could have, so thus, the sewing machine was purchased. My Mother made all my clothes, and my sister's. She made my wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses, even though she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. She lived two more years after that and to my knowledge, the only other things she made after that were my maternity clothes and clothes for my niece, Jamie. I once tried another machine, but was never happy with it. So my 1954 Singer keeps on running and running in tribute to my Mother.