In which I pretend I'm a celebrity blogger

So yesterday I was in New York doing a photo shoot for a major magazine when I happened to run into Gwyneth Paltrow. I was all, hey guuurlfriend, remember me?

Oh wait, that's another blog.

But really, I'm so thrilled to have the opportunity to be in New York with my studly husband, just hanging out and getting the chance to cook one of my favorite recipes on the Today Show. Again.

Mmm, yeah. Another blog all together.

Really I got nothin'. Nothing exciting to share with you to demonstrate my crazy life as a celebrity blogger. I am at this moment watching another rerun of Ellen, babysitting my niece's sweet baby, Rylan, while her mama is at work, dog sitting my grand puppy while Angela and Riley are lounging beside a rushing river in Durango, Colorado. Cool, cool Colorado. Later I'll remind my precious mother-in-law that yes, the dentist did say to actually wear her new dentures. That he did not, in fact, tell her she should take them in and out frequently.

Her dementia is worsening rapidly and it's scary and sad and frustrating all at once. It's enough to break your heart

Hey, I just discovered something really awesome. First let me tell you that we have this closet off of our bedroom that has just been the gathering place for all our junk that we were too lazy to find a proper home for. For which we were too lazy to find a proper home. Is that grammatically correct? So I needed a computer since I'm home all the time and wanting a place of my own. We recently fixed up our spare room into an office space and Mark has taken it as his. He has been working from home for about a year, he's easily distracted, and I'm happy for him to have his own space. I'd really prefer he have a man cave somewhere, but I'm happy he has taken that room as his own.

So back to the closet. We emptied it out, painted it and made it a tiny little office and I LOVE IT! Lu-hu-ve it! If I hadn't lost my camera I'd take a picture for you. It's so cute and everything is within easy reach. I bought one of those all-in-one computers where all you do is bring it home, take it out of the box and plug it in. So cool.

BUT! But! It's not a laptop and I can't sit on the comfy leather love seat and watch TV while I use it. So finally I'm getting to the really awesome thing I just discovered. I just figure out that I can use the remote keyboard FROM THE LOVE SEAT!!! How cool is that?! I can't really SEE what I'm typing, so I'll have to go back and do some major editing before I post this. But isn't that cool!

OK, come on. You gotta give me this one. It's probably the most exciting thing that will happen to me today. We can't all be glamorous, celebrity bloggers!

Because Support Can Be Beautiful

Well, I didn't win anything, but it was an honor to be nominated, and for all three of you who voted for my blog in the Best Writing category of the 2009 Okie Blog Awards, it was much appreciated. Just having my name on the list brought a couple of hundred new folks to check out these pages, and hopefully added one or two new faithful readers. Because I like writing knowing someone out there is listening.

I have to say I am very impressed with the caliber of Oklahoma blogs these days. And not just because I was nominated. I'm serious! Just a few years ago the Okie blogs were pretty slim pick'ns. Remember Slim Pickens? He died in the early '80s so you probably don't. I am very impressed by the improving quality of blogging in Oklahoma. Sure, there's The Pioneer Woman, who is now a national phenomenon. But there's a growing number of really good blogs out there.

If you haven't taken the time to check some out, jump over there and see what our fellow Okies are up to. Here are a few I discovered along the way. Plus one of my favorite new bloggers who wasn't on any list...

Goldilocks and Her Fabulous Bears - Not nominated but one of my all time favorite Oklahoma bloggers. A very funny window into the life of at the State's University.

Tasha Does Tulsa - Winner of Best Culture Blog and Best Tulsa Blog. Think there's nothing to do in Tulsa? Think again.

Napkin Dad - Runner up for Most Inspirational blog.

Jeremy and Kathleen - I like the style of their blog. It won in the Best Kept Secret category.

Enjoy! And thanks for your support. At my age, everything needs a little more support.

And the nominee is...

The 2009 Okie Blog Award nominees are posted, and guess who is on the list? Mwa! I'm so excited! If you're an Oklahoma blogger, feel free to vote for CariOkie in the best writing category. Click on the CariOkie logo thingy over on the right to view voting rules. If you're not an Oklahoma blogger, you can still enjoy all the great Oklahoma blogs.

28 years of wedded bliss.

I have not excuse for falling off the bloggy wagon so much here lately except that life has hit me upside the head with a two-by-four, effectively knocking any creative thought right out of the overloaded brain. Survival is the goal for each day. There has been no excessive TV watching, no leisurely thumbing through a decorating magazine, no reading of summer novels. Nope. Because none of those things would work up a sweat, forcing me to change clothes three times per day, or just let the sweat-soaked panties dry on my aching body, leaving me chilled and wishing I'd brought a change of clothes. I can handle a sweaty shirt, but it's the sopping undies that make one miserable in this 105 degree heat. And unlike when I lived in Arizona, the heat here in Oklahoma is definitely not a "dry heat".

In the midst of all this sweatiness (are you still reading, or have you moved on to a less graphic representation of life in Oklahoma in June of 2009) - so, aaaannnyway, in the midst of the sweaty moving of the aforementioned in-laws, of the sweaty house renovation, of the sweaty everything involving moving off of the couch, Mark and I celebrated our 28th anniversary. In style. In Ada.

Don't be so judgy. Ada is a lovely town. I had to work there on Saturday, which was our official anniversary. And since I work for a non-profit and we have pretty much been doing the community serving thing as a family for about twenty of those years, Mark thought nothing of coming along and spending our anniversary serving the good folks of Coalgate, just down the road, forty miles or so, from Ada.

The thing I love about hotels is that you can crank the AC up (down?) to a decadent 52 degrees and lie shivering happily under several layers of blankets without worrying about next month's electric bill. I know. That's not a very tree-hugging thing to say. I should be more concerned about the environment, global warming, blah blah blah. Don't be so judgy. Sheesh. It was 105 degrees outside where I had been working all day in the service of humanity. I can't be responsible for the state of the ozone every waking moment!

We stayed in Ada an extra 24 hours just to bask in the coolness that was the Ada Holiday Inn Express, away from the naggy to-do list that awaited us back home. After 28 years you take your celebrations wherever and whenever you can get them.

I'm back home and ready to tackle the long list of things to do to get this house on the market. Anyone want to buy a much loved and renovated cottage in Bethany? Today you can take it as-is for a steal of a price. I'll leave you the to-do list under the magnet on the fridge.

Silly is as silly does. Or something like that.

I've been thinking about something Jean Warner said on her blog. Jean's amazing blog helpfully directs us all to important matters regarding women's issues, especially those that effect the women of Oklahoma. I often wonder how she is so connected to what goes on in this state.

She recently shared that a female state politician is now blogging, and in that blog entry she mentioned that although many Oklahoma women blog, she would like to see more women bloggers include "value-added content" related to public policy, business and civic affairs.

Now why has this stuck in my brain? Is it because I'm highly, highly competitive and rarely met a challenge I didn't accept? I've often thought I should put more time, research and value into the content of my blog entries. So why don't I?

(I'm home early from work and I'm trying to blog and watch Oprah at the same time, so I'm a bit distracted. Celine Dion is on. I know folks often make her the butt of jokes, but she is just amazing. I admit it. I'm a fan.)

OK, so I was saying something about putting more thought into my blog posts. Umm...

I think I've determined the reason why I, in particular, do not get too serious on this here blog.

(OK, now Oprah and Celine are both bawling. How am I supposed to think with all that boohooing going on?)

Focus. What were we talking about? Don't you hate it when someone is supposed to be paying attention to you and their eyes keep drifting off to the side, watching the TV or people passing, or when they are texting while you're talking?

So - I really think I don't get all value-added because every waking moment of my life is spent adding value to something. My job at an Oklahoma non-profit is very demanding - every day filled with the juggling act that is directing a program that meets the oral health needs for some of the most under-served children in the state. And when I get home I'm teaching a course at a local university, something that takes a great deal of brain power and creativity. Keeping a room full of adult students interested and engaged for four straight hours is a daunting task. If I'm not teaching, I'm lending my body and brains to the renovation of this old house. Then there's the newest area where I'm hopefully adding value; Combining two households and three generations under one roof.

So when I get on my blog to share my thoughts, I automatically go to silly and frivolous. It's a great outlet - a place where, perhaps sadly, deep thinking is not required. Maybe some day, when the brain and body are less engaged in heavy-duty emotional, physical and mental work, I'll start another blog about best business practices for non-profits, or the plight of women in developing nations, or the blight of urban poverty, or how to stay married for 28 years and live to tell about it, or tips for being the only adult in your immediate family who is not blessed with Attention Deficit Disorder.

But for now (sigh) all I got is silly.

I'm off today, working tomorrow, in case you're keeping track of me

I told you earlier in the week I'd show you my purchase from "The Rink" antique shop we visited on Valentine's Day. So here it is. Taadaah!

Yeah, I can tell you're about as impressed as Mark was. He calls them my play dishes. But the color aqua is all the rage in decorating right now, plus I have this weird appreciation of vintage melmac dishware. So I got all 16 pieces for $10. I have NO idea what I'll do with them, but I've enjoyed taking them out and petting them occasionally. They're so soft and smooth.

When my twin sister and I were in 7th grade we had this hippie teacher for one of the very rare occasions when we had a class together. His classes were sometimes a free-for-all. I remember once he did this exercise where we put our heads down on our desks and he played soft music and led us through an imaginary walk down a country road. Along the way we found something half buried in the dirt of the road. It was a cup. I can't remember now if he told us it was a cup or if he told us to imagine something found in the road. But afterwards, when we were allowed to pick our heads up, we discussed what we had "seen". He was fascinated by the fact that Shari, my twin, had pulled a dainty china cup out of the dirt, and I had pulled a melmac cup out of the imaginary dirt on the imaginary road. Shari and I then proceeded to have a short argument about how stupid it was to find a china/melmac cup in the road, depending on our perspective. It was the first time I realized she was the Mary and I was the Martha. Check out Luke 10:38-42 in scripture if that doesn't resonate.

So anyway, that's my melmac story and I'm sticking to it.

Want some links for the weekend? Does anyone ever follow these? 'Cause I wouldn't share if I didn't think they were interesting. But my interesting may not be your interesting.

If you're a fan of Jorge Garcia (Hurley) on Lost, you might enjoy his blog. No big behind-the-scenes secrets or anything. It's just an average guy's blog, who happens to be part of a mega television show.


I'm not sure if anyone still reads Time Magazine unless they're sitting in a doctor's office, but here's a link to their idea of the top 25 blogs. It wouldn't be a top whatever blog list this year without that pioneer woman from somewhere in rural Oklahoma in the scrum.

If you have an iphone, don't be like me and wait a year to download some apps. I finally got with it and downloaded a bunch the other day and I can't believe I waited this long. One I Luuhuuv is "Lose It". It's by far the easiest way I've ever found to keep track of what you eat. And I've tried many ways. I also downloaded one called "WhiteNoise" that's supposed to provide ambient sounds from the environment that help you relax or sleep. Except I can't hear the gosh darn thing. Last night I was trying it out when we went to bed, and Mark's all "turn it down!" and I'm all "it's not on yet". Couldn't hear a thing. Maybe my hearing loss is worse than I thought. I was pretty bummed falling asleep thinking about just exactly what else I can't hear.

Have a great weekend. I'm going to go finish some more projects!

Cocktail schmocktail

Last night I had to attend a work related cocktail party/reception attended by lots of "important" people. At the end of the day when I'm tired and the brain has shut off, I really struggle to make small talk, look perky and interested...basically act like I care. And I needed to act like I cared because funding for my program was a hot topic. While I don't have any problem talking with strangers, I'm way more over into the introvert side. I only leave my house because I'm forced to by the desire to pay my bills, buy groceries and get that last kid through college. Otherwise I'd only leave the house to go to Starbucks, Hobby Lobby and Home Depot. Of course, I'd have to have a computer at home. But otherwise, I'd be content.

The good news was the reception was in our building, so when I got too tired of trying to look engaged, I'd cheat and sneak back to my office and surf the internet for a while, or whine on Twitter. My twitter peeps suggested the cocktails are what makes these types of social events doable. But I'm not much of a wine drinker, and the bartender didn't look prepared to make a cute little fruity beverage that makes the alcohol more tolerable. I'm just not into the hard stuff and I had to drive home. Although that last thought didn't seem to stop anyone else. I checked the headlines this morning and didn't see reference to DUIs and "important" people, so that's good.

On a completely different topic - sorry, couldn't think of a proper seque - oh wait, I could have said something about feeling "important". Anyway, my point is I wanted to share a couple of nice mentions from other blogs here and here. An unexpected bonus to this blogging thing has been connecting with people through the blogosphere. See, I told you I'd never have to leave my house.

Blogging Milestone

I've been blogging for a year now and about every two weeks I think I'm gonna quit. Cause really, who wants to read about the life of a 47 year old, overweight woman in an almost empty nest in the heart of Oklahoma? But my mother reads this, so I'll keep at it a while longer. Hi mom.

As I look back over the year of posts, though, it's interesting (to me, not to anyone else) to review "a year in the life". I've blogged about weight more than any other subject and I still weigh what I weighed a year ago. Bummer. But Mark and I learned to dance (swing) and we renovated a few rooms in this old house, and we ate our way through Seattle, I said good-bye to my precious Grandfather, I put a Winnebago in a ditch, and, well, you've read all about it. Most importantly, I've connected with family and friends in an unexpected and satisfying way.

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but seriously. This weight has to come off. I could do one of those soporific video diary things about my weight loss journey. Maybe you could use it to put your toddler to sleep. "Mommy - I want to watch the fat lady talk". Actually, I'm traditionally built, according to Mma Ramotswe, of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Good books. Words like fat, obese, porker, tubo-licious...not my preferred descriptors. But they ARE motivating. They're motivating me to get new friends. Just kidding. I don't really have any friends.

OK, there you go. Another post has come and gone. Here's to another year of blogging about nothing in particular. Love you!

2008 Christmas Tour of Homes

I'm excited to see all the decorations on the 2008 Christmas Tour of Homes. Pace yourself and enjoy.

We're having a dialed down Christmas this year. Simple, low stress, peaceful. I can hope, can't I? Anyway, I've tried to make my decorating count since I'm keeping it to a minimum. Thought I'd share a few pics from around the house.

My favorite part of having a house full of poinsettias is when I get to water them and they are all a big, beautiful bunch in the sink.

This Holiday Season our Peanut Butter and Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats have been a big hit. Here's the recipe. Enjoy! Eat 'till you're sick. There's always January to lose the weight!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup white corn syrup. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and add 1/2 stick butter, 1 1/2 cup peanut butter and 5 cups Rice Krispies. Spread in 9x12 pan and ice with melted chocolate chips.

And of course, if you want to sing along with some slighlty, um, rewritten carols, join me here and here and here. Yeah! It's Christmas!!!

Links and stuff

Writing a blog is a strange thing. "Never before have so many with so little to say said so much to so few."

So true.

I think that quote came from Despair.com. It's making the rounds on family blogs. I LOVE Despair.com. I use it when teaching the motivation segment of Organizational Behavior. But I digress.

Apparently we bloggers a) yearn to see our words in print b)have too much time on our hands and c) don't need the gratification of a response. I don't fully understand the tracking numbers from this blog, but what it's telling me is quite a few people actually do read it. But it appears most of your are creepers, popping in to read the day's rambling thoughts, then moving on before the urge becomes too strong to make a comment. I've even had people confess with sheepish faces that they (using a hushed tone) read my blog. Shhh. Here's a tip. THAT'S THE POINT! I'm glad to hear you read it. I hope you tell others about it.

Speaking of telling others, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite blogs to entertain your Saturday. After you do all those Saturday, catch-up, didn't get them done during the week kind of things. Or if you need something to do while football is droning on in the background...

Don't remember how I came across this one, but this is how I want to write my blog. It just doesn't come out that way. Bye Bye Pie! (What a surprise that I would like a blog with food in the title)

Decor8 is doable decorating and artsy inspiration. You would think as much as I like decorating magazines and websites my home would be a show stopper. Hate to say it's definitely not, but I do the best with what I've got. Didn't mean to make that rhymn. I just find myself doing that all the time. OK I'm stopping now. If only I knew how.

Here's a cute story from Short Stop...by way of Rocks In My Dryer.

Have a great weekend!