sending them off, prayers and tears not optional...

The boy got on the road this morning, heading back to NoLa after spending his summer up here with us.  This is always done with a repetitive montra of "drive carefully, call us when you get home" and of course, there might have been a few tears involved.  Isn't that what moms and dads are supposed to do, no matter how old they get?  I am pretty sure I threw in some intercessory prayers to various saints and I believe at some point I sent my own guardian angel along to "light" the way.  I am also fairly certain that I would have done this regardless of the horrific happenings in Colorado over the weekend.  Thinking of what those family members must be experiencing, sending children to a movie only to realize they will never come home again...it is too painful to dwell on.

This time around the boy is returning to NoLa, not as a student, but as a full-fledged adult with a job, and an apartment, bills, the whole ball of wax.  His dad and I have listened, with some amusement,  to a combination of various reactions regarding the cost of items needed to furnish an apartment, the current price of gas, clothes, cable, books, and the biggie, his food bill.  As parents, we have lamented the costs of these items for years, since before he was born.  But now that he is footing this bill, well...some lessons are best learned by experiencing Life and I truly hope he has a good one.

So this past weekend he packed up some books and cleaned up his work station ...

We bought him a house warming gift, something no bachelor pad should be without...

yes, the George Foreman grill, and then he bought himself something no bachelor pad should be without....

well you can't see it in this picture, but it is a 42 inch flat-screen TV.  I was assured it was a bargain at the BestBuy, budget still intact, evidently.  And then it was time to say goodbye, for real this time.  Have a great year, my Phillip, and call me when you get home.

a little vacation with a whole lot of history

We decided to do something a little different, a little more educational for our vacation this year.  Actually it was something Benny wanted to do, so we all said okay.  We had never been to a Presidential Library and we had never been to Abilene, Kansas so off we went.  To explore new territory, where no Berns had gone before, cue the Star Trek theme music...

Seriously, when planning your summer vacation, does a Presidential Library and museum top your list, much less a little town in Kansas that is not Dodge City?  Abilene is better known as being a cowtown that was home to Wild Bill Hickok, okay now I have your attention.  We thought it was funny to see the sign still hanging that asks you to check your guns dated 1871.

Abilene, Kansas is a small town with a lot of history and we truly enjoyed exploring the historical sites and seeing some new countryside.  President Eisenhower grew up in Abilene and the museum and library are located on the grounds around his boyhood home.  We were able to tour the home and also visit the chapel where he and Mamie are buried.  I must admit it was very informative and not stuffy.  In the museum, Em and I enjoyed the fashion statement set by Mamie, whereas Benny and Phillip spent more time in the World War II historical section reading about the hero who was General Dwight D. Eisenhower.  We all had fun with the interactive kiosks set throughout the museum, especially playing 1950 trivia and answering the $64,000 question.

The Founding Fathers exhibit was also on display and at this time of political angst and polarization it was interesting to see that political thought hasn't changed all that much.  The question being debated then as now was how much should government intervene in the lives of the American people.  The big difference being the placement of God in the debate.  As persons with dignity created in the image of God, how does government provide those basic needs, those truths that are self evident?

There was a sense of what having true dignity meant, being created in the image of God.  I think that in this day and time that sense has been lost in relativism, socialism and a misguided sense of what it means to be free.

 Walking through the exhibit, I was so thankful that my kids could see this and experience a time in history that was so much a part of Benny's and my life.  Eisenhower was President when I was born and was the last president to be born in the 19th Century.  He decided to run for president in May of 1952 and was elected in November of 1952.  A campaign of less than six months, oh please bring that concept back.  Can you imagine, not having to listen to blah, blah, blah for two years?  Be still my heart.

On the grounds, centered between the Library and the Museum, is a lovely little rose garden.

A little heat stressed, but blooming nonetheless, these beautiful roses were dedicated to Flight 93 that was downed on September 11th.  It was our last stop on our self-guided tour and for just a few minutes I forgot the heat, forgot how long I had been on my feet and just remembered....

...and the rocket's red glare

In our little town of Bristow, middle America, I love the fact that celebrations such as the 4th of July are still a full-fledged community big deal.  Our lovely city park opens the pool to the kiddies and offers unlimited free hamburgers, hotdogs and water.  Throughout the afternoon there is three-legged races, a watermelon eating contest and a homemade pie auction. Families, friends and neighbors gather together, and for a few hours on this warm summer evening we look like the town one might see in an old 60's TV sitcom, Mayberry or Little House on the Prairie.

The local boy scout troop was set to re-enact Washington's crossing the Delaware, but, unfortunately, the boat was "commandeered by the British" and unable to take place.  At the risk of taking severe liberties with our Nation's history, this was the story put out by the powers that be and believe me they were sticking to it.  Word on the street was that someone dropped the ball on the ordering of said boat, but such is life in the small town.  It was not the end of the world and the Fireworks display was a sight to behold.  The anticipation of waiting for Washington was soon forgotten amid the "oooohs" and "awwws" of the evening crowd that had gathered at our lake's edge. 

I have to admit, this is one of my favorite celebrations.  We gather the lawn chairs and head down to the lake to meet cousins and my aunt and uncle, then we move our chairs as we follow the shade of the setting sun.  This year we moved three times before the sun was low enough in the sky to no longer bother us with it's unrelenting glare and heat.  It's like playing hide and seek and the sun is it. 

We grow in number every year as well.  Last year Phillip went to the pool with a boatload of cousins, while I sat with my cousin, Lew, at lake's edge to watch the fireworks.  Em was still recovering from her surgery so Benny stayed home with her and the aunt and uncle were not up to going out after a day of barbequing.  It's fun having a familial crowd to share these celebrations with.  It's the making of memories to pass down to the next generation, so one of these days they will be sharing with families, "I remember when...".

wouldn't want boredom to settle in.....

Phillip is visiting us for the summer. I didn't want him to get bored, he says he eats when he's bored. Wanting him to stay healthy, we embarked on a few projects around the house.  The first endeavor was actually his idea.  He noticed the poor wilted veggie bushes in the garden and said, "mom, you really need to shade that garden, you need a little greenhouse or something".  So off we went to the hardware store for some greenhouse supplies.  After perusing greenhouse kits online, we found them to be a little pricey, we stocked up on PVC pipe and connectors, to build what became a greenhouse lean-to.  It was coming along nicely, but we underestimated the power of the Oklahoma winds.

We have been back to the drawing board several times to remedy this wind and shade problem, we are still working on it.  Anyway, we moved on to painting around the front door.  It really turned out better than I hoped, brightens the area around the door nicely. 

So yesterday we decided to have a little fun with some booze infusion.  We added strawberries to the Jack....

added a little pineapple to the Vodka...

and made some pretty little bottles of what hopes to be some mellow tastin' cordials.

Stay tuned for the tasting.

Good Morning, everyone!

I love the mornings here in Oklahoma.  Everything still looks fresh and 'spring-like' and not wilted from the unrelenting heat of these hot and dry summers.  There is usually a cool breeze that lures you into a false feeling of 'oooh it's going to be a lovely day for working in the gardens'.  Before you know it the sun is overhead and the dryness of the heat and dust has made the earlier euphoria a daunting memory. 

 This is where I love to spend my mornings.  I call it my meditation garden.  It is a peaceful place to start my day with prayers, coffee and the drone of the morning bees at work doing their job of pollination.  Thank you bees, you are doing a wonderful job, I have beautiful tomatoes and bell peppers.

Hercules is usually on patrol, chasing the birds and exploring the garden.  He doesn't stay out as long as he used to, he is getting older and he does not like the heat.  He doesn't like the cold much either, he was traumatized by the big winter snow we had our first winter here.  Poor guy.  He does manage to find a turtle or two and he likes to dig for the moles that tunnel under the yard, but thankfully he hasn't caught one.  He would freak out if he ever did, no wait, I would totally freak out if he ever caught one.



Frick and Frack stopped by to say hello this morning.  They are usually looking for a handout since I will occasionally throw them a handful of birdseed when I fill the bird feeders.  Sadly I think Frick and Frack are on their way to bigger farms, or ponds, or wherever large ducks go to spend their golden years.  They are getting too big for their little pool and the owners are not willing to upgrade.  Actually we have all gotten a little used to their morning "Quacks, Quacks!"  It is usually early and it is outside Emily's window.  She used to complain about the train, now she complains about the ducks.  Welcome to the country Em.

I'm back in business.

It's been almost two years since I wrote a blog.  So much has changed, so much has happened.  I felt the tug and pull of sharing how my life here in Oklahoma has affected me, from new friendships to how this move impacted our family.  A lot of interesting feelings emerged and bubbled to the surface once we got here and settled.  It might not have been all wine and roses but it has been about Life.  Ups, downs, sadness and pain, to joy and the gift of many blessings, it seems we have experienced it all, and isn't that what life is all about?  We all go through it, and it's not perfect, but what a journey it is, this Life.  I hope to share some of this journey with you and you can get a feel for what it's like to live in this small town we now call home.